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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178717">Operation: Attack RWBY</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodRealm/pseuds/GodRealm'>GodRealm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Operation: Attack RWBY Universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Inappropriate Humor, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>96,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodRealm/pseuds/GodRealm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neptune has a new toy that he wants to try out. Jaune just wants to enjoy his vacation. What did he get roped into? A "harmless" scheme by the boys might just backfire on them... with consequences. Multiple planned pairings for this story with Lancaster at the forefront. RATED M FOR LANGUAGE AND OTHER THINGS LATER ON!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Sun Wukong, Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Weiss Schnee/Neptune Vasilias</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Operation: Attack RWBY Universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Lancaster Week, RWBY Relationship Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello all!</p><p>It's been a real long time since I've had any kind of inspiration to even sit down and type up an idea for a story. Weirdly enough, this idea came up between my wife, myself, and a few friends of ours while watching the latest RWBY episode. It's a similar scenario that WE had experienced as teenagers and thought that the characters from RWBY would be perfect characters for the story.</p><p>Now, this also means that there will be some OOC for some characters that I am looking forward to creating and seeing how it fits. I hope to create something for all to enjoy.</p><p>This was the idea of six, immature individuals who shall remain nameless. Obviously, while there will be similarities, much of the story was altered to fit into the world of Remnant. There is a rating of M for this story for a reason (Raunchy and suggestive themes). This story is also AU and a few years ahead for the students at Beacon. Kind of imagine Chibi on crack... with pairing(s)? That's kind of what I'm going for... I think? ENJOY!</p><p>Italicized – Inner Thoughts</p><p>BOLD - Speaker</p><p>GodRealm</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Prologue</p><p>Jaune was reluctant to be here. In fact, that was an understatement. There are about 20 things he could think of off the top of his head that he would prefer to be doing right now. With the school being on break and the campus mostly empty and students returning home to enjoy time off, the grounds were fair game for the select few remaining, and that meant he could do just about anything.</p><p>He could use any of the training grounds he wanted, he could use the community room television to watch any of the shows (cartoons) that he wanted, and he could be as loud as he wanted. Yes, the possibilities were endless when it came to "what could be", but instead, the young blond found himself in an off-campus apartment building waiting for someone. Strike that, not just anyone, the "pretty boy" of Haven Academy, Neptune Vasilias, was that person.</p><p>"Ughhhh." He scoffed, slightly slouching forward in his chair, with a sour face.</p><p>What was promised to be a quick meet-up at the blue-haired playboy's place had turned into an hour wait.</p><p>"Something the matter, Jaune?" He was asked.</p><p>Jaune looked over from his slouched position at the table to look over at one of the other two occupants he was currently sharing the space with. His gaze fell upon his long-time friend and teammate, Li Ren, who was staring at him inquisitively.</p><p>Ren was holding a few cards in his hands, entertaining himself with a game he and the other member of the group were playing in order to pass the time. Jaune had been offered the chance to play as well, but he knew how lucky he was (is) when it comes to many things in life and opted to sit it out. After all, they had been promised a short wait before Neptune was to arrive.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess." He replied with a slight tone in his voice. "We've been waiting here for nearly an hour at Neptune's place for HIM. Doesn't that sound a little ridiculous?" He continued.</p><p>Ren took a card from his counterpart's hand and placed it down the table. Doubles. NICE. Ren continued his calm and cool demeanor while multi-tasking the game and entertaining conversation with Jaune.</p><p>"Yes, he is a little late, isn't he?" He retorted.</p><p>"A little?" Jaune replied. "No, no. A little late is five, maybe 10 minutes. But this guy is an hour late... TO HIS OWN HOUSE. And the jerk has the nerve to ignore my texts I've sent to his scroll."</p><p>Ren drew from the pile. Another non-match. Damn it.</p><p>"Sometimes things come up." He said without emotion. "Neptune invited us to his apartment and promised us something we did not want to miss out on. We should hear him out, as friends."</p><p>Jaune narrowed his eyes at his teammate. His chin was now supporting his head while he sat there at the table, visibly annoyed. He HATED when Ren gave answers he didn't want to hear. He somehow always had the right answer to things.</p><p>"Ok, sure." Jaune said, throwing his arms in the air, clearly exasperated. "But he could shoot one of us a message. Surely, he's not that busy that he couldn't do that, right?"</p><p>Ren gave a simple shrug and continued to play the game, annoying Jaune further.</p><p>"You're so not helpful," Jaune said, finally sitting up. "Help me out here a little, Sun."</p><p>Jaune aimed his attention to the other party at the table. Sun Wukong, the Faunus of the group who was on the receiving end of several defeats by Li Ren in the game they had been playing for the better part of 30 minutes.</p><p>Sun's "thinking face" was on currently. He was deep in thought as his monkey tail danced back in forth while he stared at Ren's cards. He was hesitant on which to pick. Damn it. Card games were never his specialty, but Ren had denied a push-up contest to pass the time for Neptune's arrival.</p><p>"Gimme a second, Jaune. I'm busy." Was his only reply.</p><p>Jaune inwardly sighed again and put his head down on the table. It was pure boredom. What could be so important that he had to give up his Friday? He had to admit he was rather curious. When he received the message to his scroll to grab Ren and meet at Neptune's apartment, he assumed it was an urgent matter of life and death since no details were given. He almost ran there only to find Sun waiting for them inside the apartment, sitting on the couch.</p><p>Sun didn't know what it was bout either, but he knew that he could trust Neptune. After all, they were teammates and have been since they had both enrolled at Haven Academy 3 years ago. Yes, all four of these boys... men were all seniors now. It is crazy how fast time flies when you exterminate Grimm, get your ass kicked, and eat Pumpkin Pete's cereal all on a daily basis. In a few short months all four of them would graduate and sit for their Huntsman licenses.</p><p>It was a dream come true for all of them, especially Jaune. He had come so far in those short few years. The once "Puke boy" had come into his own as a warrior. Thanks to his friends and teammates, he had gotten his act together. He was still the same clumsy goofball, but he could at least back up what he said now... for the most part.</p><p>Obviously, Pyrrah still wrecked him in both hand-to-hand combat and with weapons, but he still stood a chance against the other members of RWBY. While they all had their special talents, his semblance ability to heal his aura while fighting, gave him a stamina advantage. Fighting against Crescent Rose was still no fun, but he had brought Ruby herself to a draw more than once. Puke boy was growing up.</p><p>"I win again."</p><p>"WHAT?!"</p><p>"You really suck at this, don't you?"</p><p>"Best 13 out of 25."</p><p>"...No."</p><p>Sun shook his head and flailed his arms in disappointment. In a matter of wits, most were usually unable to keep up with Ren. What he lacked in personality and overall strength; his intelligence overshadowed. Sun was almost the complete opposite. He was chiseled and had great endurance, but when it came to a fight using his head, he would probably think that to be a head-butting contest.</p><p>Ren placed the remainder of his cards on the table and let out an exasperated sigh himself. Even he was growing tired of the wait at this point. Not only was he tired, but he was also hungry. The three had helped themselves to a few snacks in the apartment, but not much was worth taking. What he would do for pancakes. Pancakes.</p><p>"Maybe we should get dinner if he's going to be a while?" Ren posed to the other two.</p><p>"I could eat, I guess." Jaune offered in reply.</p><p>"Sure. Beats losing again." Sun also replied.</p><p>"Right. What's everyone want? Since the school's closed with only a few students remaining on campus, we have to fend for ourselves." Ren stated.</p><p>"Oh yeah, I forgot I've been eating dry cereal for a reason for the last 3 days." Jaune groaned.</p><p>"Why don't you just go buy milk?"</p><p>"It's the principle."</p><p>"You're just being lazy, aren't you?"</p><p>"...Shut up."</p><p>"In any case," Ren interjected. "What shall it be?"</p><p>"You three are incredibly boring." A voice stated.</p><p>The other 3 men at the table all stopped talking at this point. They looked at each other in surprise and confusion.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but you both hear that right?" Sun asked.</p><p>"Y-Yeah. Where the hell did it come from though?" Jaune answered.</p><p>"Down here, dumbass."The voice replied.</p><p>As a unison, all three sitting there looked underneath the table and saw what appeared to be a tiny, car-shaped toy. Differently from a car though, it had what was a camera on the front of it.</p><p>"What... Is that?" Ren posed to the others.</p><p>"I'M YOUR GOD." It stated.</p><p>"And why is it retarded?" Ren added.</p><p>"HEY!" It answered. "THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT!"</p><p>Suddenly, a realization came over Sun. That voice...</p><p>"Wait... Neptune? Is that you?" he asked, almost certain.</p><p>"Finally figured that out, huh? Took you long enough." He replied, unimpressed.</p><p>The three at the table, more confused as ever, stared once more at each other. They had seen some weird things, hell even some bizarre things, but... this?</p><p>"I'm sorry," Jaune stated. "How long has this been going on, and why are you a car?" He continued.</p><p>"I'm not a car, you idiot. I'm speaking to you through a headset and my voice is coming out through the speaker on the bottom of the car I modified." Car-Neptune responded.</p><p>Jaune reached down and picked up the "toy", as he thought it, and examined it a little closer with the other two. It was definitely a toy car but added to it was the camera they had noticed earlier and after flipping it over, they noticed the speaker that Neptune had mentioned.</p><p>"Hey, be careful. Those mods were costly and time-consuming." Neptune said.</p><p>"So, are you watching us?" Ren posed.</p><p>"Yeah, from my bedroom. I've been recording you guys for the better part of an hour."</p><p>Suddenly, a wave of annoyance hit Jaune. It hit the other two as well, but not nearly as much as Jaune.</p><p>"Let me get this straight." He started, bringing his hands together. "We've been waiting here after you asked, no, BEGGED, us to come to your place to show us something important."</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And then you don't answer your scroll that whole time after we arrive?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"But this whole time, you've been in your room, recording us play cards and scratch our asses?"</p><p>"...Yes?"</p><p>"Got it." He responded. "Hey Sun, that garbage disposal work?"</p><p>"Sure does." He stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>The sound of the garbage disposal turning on was more than enough to send a panicking Neptune barreling out of his room to hold Jaune's arm back from destroying his invention.</p><p>"Okay! Okay! Okay! I'll make it up to you! I swear!" He pleaded.</p><p>Jaune relented and signaled for Sun to turn the garbage disposal off. Jaune turned around to face Neptune who had calmed down considerably after being handed back his toy. He checked it for damage before wiping the glass camera for any smudges and placing it on the kitchen table behind him.</p><p>The remaining three went back to their respective seats. Ren began recovering all the cards from the endless games Sun and himself had played during the waiting time. Sun went through his scroll, presumably looking to play another game. Jaune sat there, seemingly unimpressed with the same bored look on his face.</p><p>Neptune stared back at them after seeing his machine was in good standing. He had a plan for his new "toy", and he needed help to execute it. Neptune had placed the order to an Atlas company nearly two months ago for this special occasion. This weekend would make him the most popular guy in all of Beacon, and he was always about his social status. Of course, he had kept quiet about it and was not willing to disclose his plan until he had this toy of his.</p><p>"So." He began. "I bet you're all wondering as to WHY I called you here?"</p><p>"Yeah, pretty much." Sun responded with the other two simply nodding.</p><p>"Well, you've already seen my new camera and speaker from earlier." he said, showing off the toy once more.</p><p>"You mean the car?" Ren asked.</p><p>"No, no." Neptune responded. "I mean, yes, the car is a little addition, but it's the camera and speaker that are special ordered. The car is just something I added. It's remote-controlled and it has a range of 300 feet."</p><p>"Okay, but why the camera and speaker?" Ren asked again.</p><p>A smile crept onto Neptune's face. Finally, the REAL presentation can begin.</p><p>"It's simple, boys. We are going to use this technology for the betterment of all the Beacon students and create a social hierarchy with us at the top. We will garner the respect we deserve while letting everyone know who's in charge."</p><p>"What?" Sun asked, even more confused.</p><p>"He wants to record people and then blackmail them with what he finds." Jaune replied, attempting to clear the confusion up.</p><p>"Well that's downplaying it... but yes!" Neptune stated enthusiastically at the end.</p><p>"Okay, but why?" Jaune continued. "Surely there's a better way to go about gaining popularity at a school that you're not even a part of."</p><p>"Jaune, Jaune, Jaune." Neptune stated while shaking his head disapprovingly with his hands raised in the 'what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you' kind of expression. "You do realize that students and other third parties will pay a substantial amount of money for good material, right?"</p><p>"...I'm listening."</p><p>"I think it's better I show you." He responded.</p><p>Neptune walked from his kitchen to his living room that was only a few feet away. He grabbed the remote to his television and pressed the 'Power' button. The screen came on and revealed a dark screen. Neptune then pulled his toy out and pulled the camera off the front of the car. Reaching behind the television, he pulled a small cord out and plugged the camera into the cord.</p><p>Next, he pulled up his scroll, clicked on an app, and pulled up a video. Ren swore he heard a "Here it is." coming from Neptune's mouth, faintly across the room. After that, Neptune clicked on the file on his phone and a video popped up on the television. Neptune smiled before looking back at the others still sitting at his kitchen table. He motioned for them to come sit on the empty couches occupying the living room.</p><p>They stared at each other before standing up and making their way over. Ren and Jaune occupied the smaller sofa, while Sun sprawled out on the longer couch, seemingly comfortable.</p><p>"Now then," Neptune began. "Feast your eyes on this." Pressing play after.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The video began to play, and it showed the courtyard of Beacon Academy. It was a bright day and it was most likely during the last week's school time hours before the summer break. The video showed the camera moving, most likely on the remote-controlled car that it had been on earlier. The video was crisp and showed every minute detail of the academy.</p><p>"All right." A voice came over the speaker, clearly belonging to Neptune. "You're all about to see what I just found."</p><p>The car then drove off down the path towards the school buildings. It passed a few on-lookers in the garden area without losing any speed. The car made a left turn around a few of the statues that inhabited the grounds. It dodged a student who was waiting around the corner and was almost stepped on. The poor boy then took a misstep and fell backward onto his behind. He yelled something incoherent as the car kept moving to its destination.</p><p>Making one last left turn, the car circled around another side of the building and came to a stop. At first the boys on the couch didn't see much. They saw what appeared to be a person off in the distance but as the camera continued to zoom. Closer and closer, they finally made out the person's face. Not only that, they were also able to see WHAT exactly they were doing. A look of mortification, shock, and laughter came over the faces of Ren, Jaune, and Sun, respectively.</p><p>Before them was Cardin. But Cardin was doing something. Not just something. He was excreting. He was excreting, outside, against the school building.</p><p>"Oh, dear Oum, why?" Jaune squeaked out.</p><p>"NO WAY!" Sun offered.</p><p>Cardin had a look of pain on his face. Red, sweating, and exhausted were perfect definitions. He muffled a scream at times and continued to push with a mighty force. His fingers gripped the wall of the corner he was huddled in. Luckily, there was no one that usually came by this area, let alone during what should be class time.</p><p>"Why now? Oum, what was in that?" Cardin inquired.</p><p>"Apparently, our friend here doesn't do well with the Friday lunch special." A voice from the speaker stated.</p><p>Jaune leaned back onto the couch after stifling a chuckle of his own. It's no secret Cardin and Jaune never saw eye to eye even after Jaune had saved him back during freshmen year. They spent the better half of the remaining time until now avoiding each other and not engaging in any kind of conversation. So, he found the bit amusing to say the least.</p><p>"Couldn't have happened to a better person." Jaune stated, still smirking.</p><p>"OH, IT BURNS! IT BURNS! FUCK!"</p><p>"All right, I've seen enough. Please for the love of all that is right, turn it off!" Ren begged.</p><p>"FUUUU-"</p><p>The video went to a pause as Neptune clicked the button on his scroll device. He looked back at the group who were a mixture of amused and disgusted. Cardin was just a simple accident. Neptune originally had other plans for his toy, but this was just a bonus.</p><p>"After I finished recording the footage, I sent Cardin a note with a copy of everything and ransomed it back to him. He left me 100 lien in an undisclosed location and I gave him the original." Neptune stated.</p><p>"Wait... You just showed us this, so you still have the original." Ren added.</p><p>"Well, yeah, but he doesn't know that." Neptune replied. "I mean, Oum forbid he actually finds out it was me; I'd like to have this just as a backup."</p><p>"That's fair." The others answered.</p><p>"So, you plan to expose and blackmail the students here and make some money off them?" Sun questioned.</p><p>Neptune shook his head and waved his hands.</p><p>"No, not all the time. I just know that Cardin is a jerk. I just want to do this to mess with people and get a few cheap laughs out of it more than anything. Yeah, I do want to blackmail certain individuals I may not like, but even then, I like just about everyone at this school. Not to mention, with vacation here, there isn't really anyone left at the school except a few of you." He stated, gesturing to Ren and Jaune.</p><p>Jaune and Ren both looked at each other. It was true. For summer vacation, many of the students had opted to go home rather than stay in the dorms. A select few had offered to stay and act almost like security along with a few of the teachers and staff. Others simply did not want to leave and return home. With students to a minimum, the idea of the four of them getting around the school and "spying" for lack of a better term on the other students should prove to be easy.</p><p>With the amount of boredom Jaune was going to experience on break, he thought it might be nice to do something as a group. Blackmailing really wasn't his style but getting a few laughs with friends might be worth it. Looking at Ren, even he seemed amused by the idea. Maybe it had something to do with being a ninja or whatever he was?</p><p>Sun had a mischievous smile on his face, which was all the confirmation Neptune needed to know he was in. Sun was the partner he trusted the most from his team and he knew that he would be game. Convincing the other two was what was going to be the challenge.</p><p>"Well, what do you boys say?" Neptune asked them. "Shall we have a fun weekend? I already have plans drawn up." He continued, making his way over to a desk in the corner of the living room before opening the drawer. He began digging through, searching for something.</p><p>Jaune wondered what they would do first. Who would be the first victim to their new-thought scheme? Most of the teachers were gone as well and students that they even knew were limited, so who...</p><p>Oh no. A thought dawned on him as he sat there pondering. Oh no. No. No. No. The horror of what he was thinking finally translated into words soon after.</p><p>"Wait." He began, garnering the attention of both Ren and Sun who gave him an inquisitive stare. "It's vacation time and there are only a few people here, which we've already established."</p><p>"Yeah, so?" Ren said, seemingly realizing the same thing. Oh no. His eyes widening in response.</p><p>"What are you two bug-eyed about?" Sun asked.</p><p>Neptune ignored the whole conversation between them as he finally pulled out what he was looking for. He strolled over to the coffee table in front of them and smiled while looking at what he had in his hands. With pride and force, he slammed the paper down on the table for all three to see.</p><p>"Gentlemen, I give you 'Operation: Attack RWBY'." He stated, showing his plans to the group.</p><p>Jaune had just one word in mind for Neptune's death wish of a plan.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Flip of a Coin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Greetings again!</p><p>Appreciate the reviews that were left and the emails about Follows/Faves. To be honest, I'm not very confident in my writing. I'm in the health field and this is just something I do as a hobby (obviously). So, any words of encouragement or criticism are more than welcome here. Okay! Going forward, I'm going to try and do the best I can to live up to those who have decided to stick around.</p><p>RiggyMinus – Thanks for being my first review! I hope you stick around and enjoy it for what it is. It won't be an especially long story (at least that is the plan), so I hope you get a cheap laugh or two.</p><p>DeinoHunter – Thank you! And trust me, from personal experience, it won't be pretty. HAHA.</p><p>Anyway, here is chapter 2. Again, full disclosure, this is primarily a LANCASTER (JaunexRuby) story. So, if that is not your cup of tea, you've been warned. I hope you enjoy it!</p><p>Italicized – Inner Thoughts</p><p>BOLD - Speaker</p><p>GodRealm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Chapter 2 – Flip of a coin</p><p>Jaune stood up from the seat on the couch without a word, panic was written all over his face. The others stared at him as he began making his way towards the exit of the apartment. He moved with haste and determination. Unfortunately, while reaching for the knob to make his escape, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. Without turning around, he continued to try and reach out for the knob, knowing full well who was behind him.</p><p>"Woah, buddy." Neptune stated. "Where's the fire?"</p><p>"No. Hell no. Not gonna happen. Nuh huh." He gave as a stern response.</p><p>"What's wrong with you?" Neptune asked.</p><p>Jaune halted his attempt to leave and dropped his arm to his side. Neptune released the grip on his shoulder as a response to this. Jaune turned around to face Neptune who had a look of further confusion on his face. Jaune kept somewhat of a scowl on his, with fear still evident.</p><p>"Do you have ANY idea what you're about to do? I want no part of it!"</p><p>"What are you afraid of?"</p><p>"You seriously want to piss off four of the strongest women at our school?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Jaune paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow to Neptune's response. Neptune's face turned to expressionless as he continued.</p><p>"It would be six including Nora and Pyrrha."</p><p>Like a flash, Ren had moved in the same fashion as Jaune had just moments earlier with Sun being the one to catch him before exiting, grasping his shoulder tightly.</p><p>Jaune just stared at Neptune, now dawning a blank expression. Was he insane? Was he suicidal? Did his parents not hug him enough as a child? Jaune always regarded Neptune to be a smart guy or an "intellectual" as he often referred to himself as. So, surely, he couldn't be this stupid.</p><p>"Do you need a hug?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"What?" Neptune replied.</p><p>"Bring it in, big guy." Jaune continued, opening his arms and motioning for an embrace.</p><p>"Jaune... I don't know how to say this... I like girls."</p><p>"What? No, I'm saying... Never mind." Jaune replied, flatly.</p><p>Ren was still attempting to escape, giving Sun a run for his money with the amount of tugging force he was applying to try and reach the door. He was fingertips away from reaching the knob but could not overcome Sun's strength keeping him in place where he was. Damn it.</p><p>"Look." Neptune started again. "There comes a time in every man's life when he has to make tough decisions. He has to look at himself and say, 'Yes, I can do this.'"</p><p>"What the hell are you even talking about? This is certain death if they find out we're spying on them. I don't know if you've ever been on the receiving end of a Yang punch-"</p><p>"Or a Nora hammer strike." Ren interjected, still struggling to get free of Sun's grip, seemingly now in a headlock.</p><p>"But they are not fun." Jaune concluded.</p><p>Neptune waved his hands in a dismissive manner. The cockiness. Jaune thought.</p><p>"There's a simple solution to that, Jauney boy." Jauney boy? Jaune though again. "We don't get caught."</p><p>The two boys shared a few seconds of staring. Jaune gave a look of further annoyance as Neptune kept his carefree, expressionless face as a rebuttal. The blue-eyed blond knew that he had offered poor answers to solutions in the past himself. Hell, he knew that he wasn't exactly the smartest guy, but this was just negligent. Neptune offered no kind of actual plan.</p><p>Meanwhile, Ren had finally stopped resisting Sun's grasp. He was catching his breath and fixing his shirt while Sun stood there with a triumphant look on his face.</p><p>"Don't get caught?" Ren asked, out of breath.</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I said." Neptune replied.</p><p>"And HOW can you guarantee that this will work out as you want?" Jaune answered back, placing emphasis on the question. "No offense, but you're not offering much in terms of an actual 'plan'." He continued, offering air quotes at the end of the sentence.</p><p>Neptune let out a sigh and walked away from the other three men he was standing with. He made his way back over to the paper he had pulled out of the drawer earlier and placed on the coffee table. He scooped it up and motioned for them to once more come to his side in the living room. Ren and Jaune offered a raised eyebrow in response.</p><p>"Gentlemen come sit again. I have more to show you about and explain." Neptune stated.</p><p>"Were you in on this already, Sun?" Ren offered, finally regaining his composure.</p><p>The blond Faunus was already making his way back over to the couch and plopped back out and laid out as he had previously.</p><p>"No way." He responded. "But Neptune has never had a bad plan. I may be the leader of Team SSSN, but he's always been the brains behind the operation. I just have more charisma... and I'm not afraid of water."</p><p>"Could have done without the last part," Neptune replied, mumbling. "Anyway, just hear me out and we'll talk after that, okay?" He asked the two men from Team JNPR.</p><p>Ren let out an exasperated sigh in response, but, none the less, made his way back to the living room. Jaune watched as his partner made his decision to listen and figured he could at least do the same after all he had been through since arriving here earlier. With a half-hearted attitude, he also walked over to the couch he had previously occupied and sat down again next to Ren.</p><p>Neptune left out a sigh of relief as well.</p><p>"Thank you." He spoke again. "Now then, I'll go over what I have here in my hands after another short video I have saved on my scroll from the camera."</p><p>He placed the paper in his back pocket as he made his way back over to the television pulled out his scroll again. He pulled up his video library again and pressed PLAY once more.</p><p>"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" Cardin continued.</p><p>"Oum damn it!" Ren immediately let out.</p><p>Neptune paused the video again, quickly.</p><p>"S-Sorry. I forgot we left that up. I just have to speed up the video to what I wanted to show you all." Neptune explained and began fast-forwarding afterward.</p><p>Cardin's part of the video lasted nearly another 5 minutes, which, thank Oum, was only a few short seconds thanks to the fast forward option. No wonder he paid up. Jaune thought to himself. Eventually, the video switched over to the car driving away from the disgusting scene and driving back towards the courtyard.</p><p>"Here we go." Neptune said while smiling.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The video showed the vehicle driving over to meet Neptune who was waiting for it, operating the controls, on the edge of the courtyard, hiding amongst the bushes. The camera revealed he had tactical paint on his face and what appeared to be a helmet. A poor attempt at camouflage as he still wore his red jacket.</p><p>He was wearing what appeared to be a headset, no doubt what was allowing his voice to come out through the speaker on the video. The car arrived at his feet and he picked it up, again checking it for any damage while admiring it as he had come to do. He had placed an invaluable amount of time to put this little hobby of his together.</p><p>"Well, I think our friend will be paying quite a bit for this little show. Jaune, I hope you can appreciate this." Neptune's voice bled through the speaker one last time before he turned his headset off.</p><p>"Now, time to head back to the apartment and make the edits for Cardin's copy." He stated, while laughing, now with the speaker off.</p><p>Neptune stood up from his crouched position and began walking down the pathway in the courtyard towards the exit of the school grounds, video obviously still rolling. It was a silent stroll for the most part. He offered a 'hello' to a few of the school's women as he walked, but nothing more than that.</p><p>Finally, as he approached the gates of the school grounds, he noticed something interesting. Just beyond the gates were three students of Beacon waiting against a tree in the clearing. Not just any three students, though. Team RWBY members Blake, Weiss, and Ruby.</p><p>"Well, maybe I should go say hello," Neptune announced out loud. "Hey, la-"</p><p>"I GOT THE STUFF GIRLS!"</p><p>Neptune paused for a second after hearing the loud call out coming from a fourth party. He looked over and saw a group of three other girls walking towards the original three. He took this time to move towards the closest bundle of bushes with haste, nearly falling over with his new toy. He peaked over the hedges to see Yang, Pyrrha, and Nora walking over to the other Team RWBY members.</p><p>The shout had belonged to the blond member of the team, Yang Xia Long, who was waving at her teammates while making her way towards them.</p><p>"Stuff?" Neptune murmured loud enough for the audio on the camera to pick up. His gaze fell onto Nora Valkyrie, who was carrying a box that was making a rather loud rattling noise, even from the distance he was at.</p><p>"It's about time, Yang." Weiss stated, crossing her arms. "We've been wondering when you would all get back."</p><p>"Can you keep it down? This isn't exactly allowed." Blake asked her two teammates while looking around the area to make sure no one was watching them. Neptune was glad he had taken the initial leap into the bushes at this point, as to not be seen by the group. Whatever they were up to, they didn't want anyone knowing about it.</p><p>Nora brought the box to the ground, letting out an exhausted sigh. It rattled again slightly, but not nearly as loud as when it was being carried over to the group. The six girls were now together, next to the tree in the middle of a clearing outside the school grounds.</p><p>The video then showed Neptune placing the car on the ground and placing his headset back on. He grabbed the controller out of his pocket and shortly after, a switch was heard.</p><p>"Stealth mode time." Neptune stated.</p><p>After saying that, the car made its way out of the bushes and into the clearing at a slow pace. He made sure to keep a decent distance but made it close enough to start picking up the conversation the group of friends were having.</p><p>"Yeah, sorry about that. I had to flirt pretty hard with the guy at the store to let us walk away with everything without any questions asked." Yang offered as a response to what Weiss had said earlier. "We got a lot too!"</p><p>"Well, that's good." Blake responded, smiling. "If we're going to have a good time while everyone's out on vacation, we might as well be stocked for the weekend."</p><p>"I'll say so!" Nora nearly yelled, stretching out her back after clearly carrying something that was on the heavier side.</p><p>Pyrrha began walking away from the group while holding her arms close to her chest, almost with a scared demeanor on her face.</p><p>"I don't know, girls. Are we sure we want to do this in the school? If we get caught, we might get in some serious trouble."</p><p>Yang walked over and slung an arm around the red-headed girl's shoulder, sporting a smiling face.</p><p>"Aw, come on, Pyrrha." She started. "We just went through all the trouble of getting it and getting it here. We'll have a good time this weekend, I swear."</p><p>Pyrrha still had a look of discontent on her face.</p><p>"I-I know we did. I just don't want to risk graduation over something like this. I mean, I know girls our age and students before us have done this, but I don't want everything we've done over the last few years to be for nothing."</p><p>"Pyrrha." A voice called from near the tree, causing her to turn and drop Yang's arm off her shoulder at the same time.</p><p>The voice resonated with Jaune as the first friend he had made when he had made it to Beacon all those years ago. Ruby.</p><p>The red-hood wearing, huntress-in-training offered a smile to the Team JNPR member while walking over to her.</p><p>"I don't have much experience with this stuff either, but I think this is an opportunity for us to have one last girl's night and one last friend experience before we graduate in a few months." Ruby finished, before standing in front of her.</p><p>"I know, Ruby. Maybe, I'm just being overly cautious." Pyrrha replied.</p><p>"You don't have to worry about a thing, Pyrrha. We'll be cautious. I mean, even Weiss is okay with it. Doesn't that say something?" Yang added, giving a small chuckle.</p><p>"Psh. Whatever." Weiss interjected.</p><p>"Besides Pyrrah, students get caught doing this stuff all the time. We wouldn't be the first and we definitely won't be the last." Nora also added, hugging her friend from behind, sporting a smile of her own.</p><p>The six shared a small laugh with each other as Nora backed off and Pyrrah regained her normal smile that she usually carried with her. Ruby began walking past the group, garnering their attention as she stopped at the edge of a hill near the tree they were standing at.</p><p>"I don't want to have any regrets." She spoke. "If we can have the chance to have a good time as a group before graduating, I'm all in for it."</p><p>"That's the spirit, sis." Yang replied, offering a thumbs up.</p><p>"Okay. Okay." Pyrrha replied. "I'm still in."</p><p>"Awesome!" Nora yelled again, launching her arm in the air in a celebratory fashion.</p><p>"Just one question, though," Weiss announced. "Where are we going to keep this stuff before next weekend? We can't just waltz on into the academy with it. We have to wait until the other students leave and it's just us and the other two idiots left from Nora and Pyrrah's team remaining."</p><p>'Idiots?' Jaune and Ren thought at the same time while continuing to watch the video.</p><p>"I've got that part covered." Blake responded.</p><p>She made her way back over to the box near the base of the tree. From the camera's angle at the top of the clearing, the viewers could see Blake push the box into a hollow opening that was around the side of the tree. The box took a little bit of effort to push on Blake's end, but it fits into the crevice none the less.</p><p>She then grabbed a few loose, frail branches off the tree that had a decent amount of leaves on them and used them as camouflage to cover the hole where the box had slid into. She then wiped her hands on her pants to get any dirt or debris off.</p><p>"Done." She stated.</p><p>"All right, looks like we're all set." Yang said.</p><p>"Hey." Ruby started, causing the attention to be on her again. "Should we invite the boys to join us you think?" She asked, raising her hands inquisitively.</p><p>The other five just looked at each other and laughed.</p><p>"Yeah, okay!" Nora yelled again. "Ren's a party-pooper. If anything, he'll bring the party down before it even gets going. I love the guy, but he could fuck up a wet dream when he wants to."</p><p>"Wet dream?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"I'll tell you when you're older." Yang replied, patting her sister on the head.</p><p>"I'm almost 18 now!" She replied, pouting in a cute fashion.</p><p>The group shared another laugh, this time at the leader of Team RWBY.</p><p>"Well, what about Jaune?" She continued, still embarrassed by the group's teasing.</p><p>"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you?" Blake said, sporting a smug smile.</p><p>It was no secret that the Team leaders of RWBY and JNPR had grown close over the last few years. Hell, all eight of them had grown close, but those two were always having their side conversations inside and outside of class.</p><p>They read the same comics and played the same games. And recently, they had been spending more time together sparring, trying to improve Jaune's combat ability along with Ruby's hand-to-hand techniques. Of course, Ruby had the experience advantage on her side, so she rightfully won most of the matches. That isn't to say he wasn't getting better and better with each spar.</p><p>Pyrrha had also offered him training when Ruby was unavailable. She had even given over her old equipment so that Jaune could use it to create a new set of armor as well as upgrade Crocea Mors. She had received several endorsements and sponsorships from companies and upgraded her own equipment, so she was happy to help her leader out.</p><p>"W-Whatever!" Ruby replied, defensively.</p><p>"In any case, that doofus would get us caught or destroy something like he usually does." Yang added, waving her hand dismissively as Weiss nodded her head.</p><p>"Hey, it's getting kind of late. We still need to get lunch before the cafeteria closes." Nora interjected. "I don't want to miss the Friday special."</p><p>A chill went up the spine of the four boys watching, knowing how that had worked out for Cardin earlier who was probably still wrenched over in pain.</p><p>"That's fine. We're done here anyway." Blake responded as the others nodded their heads and began walking off towards the school grounds together. Once they were out of distance, the vehicle began moving, once Neptune figured the coast to be clear.</p><p>"Now then... Let's find out what this is all about." He spoke over the speaker.</p><p>The car remained motionless as footsteps were heard approaching it. A button being pushed could be heard and the car was once again picked up. Slowly and cautiously, Neptune made his way to the tree with the camera angled up at his face. He could be seen looking all around as to make sure they were not turning around for any reason and no one else was around.</p><p>Once he approached the tree, he stared down at the hole. He had to admit, Blake did an admirable job hiding whatever was in the box. For anyone passing by, they wouldn't think anything of the cover-up. Unfortunately, Detective Neptune was at the right place at the right time.</p><p>He began removing the branches from the area slowly, keeping his eyes in the direction the girls had left in not too long ago. Before long, he had removed the shrubbery that covered the hole. He then looked inside the hole and pulled the box out slightly, still hearing the "clanking" noise coming from inside. Once it was out far enough, he placed his hands on the opening at the top to pull to cardboard edges apart.</p><p>"All right, let's see what's behind box number one." He said, silently.</p><p>With that, he pulled the edges of the box apart and the contents were revealed thereafter. The video was then paused as the eyes of all the men watching in Neptune's apartment went wide with surprise, except for Neptune, himself who was probably shocked in his own right during the actual recording.</p><p>"Booze." The three watching stated in unison.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune looked at the three saucer-eyed boys in the room before him. He knew they were as shocked as he was when he had first discovered what the girls were hiding. Sure, girls their age had dabbled with alcohol, and even he had a few times, but this was surprising to all of them. Team RWBY along with Nora and Pyrrha were going to get drunk?</p><p>Jaune relaxed a bit and leaned back onto the couch and began chuckling. The whole idea was crazy.</p><p>"Now do you all understand why we have to do this?" Neptune asked them, placing his scroll down on the table and pulling out the paper from his back pocket again. "We may never get an opportunity like this again."</p><p>Ren shook himself from his thoughts and looked over at Neptune.</p><p>"So, you want to record them getting drunk all weekend?" He asked.</p><p>"Absolutely." He responded. "Even if we don't use it for blackmail, this will be worth a laugh, don't you think?"</p><p>Ren thought about it for a second. He still wasn't too pleased with the idea and the thought of being caught still stuck in the back of his mind, but then he had to think back to Nora's rude comment. Normally, he wasn't one to think of revenge, but maybe it was time he did something carefree as well.</p><p>"I'm in." Sun said, raising his hand from the other couch. "Drunk Blake sounds like a good time."</p><p>Jaune and Ren looked over at him.</p><p>"Me too." Ren announced. This came as a surprise to Jaune who then had to look back at him. Even Neptune went a little wide-eyed at the ninja's change of heart coming so quickly. He thought Ren would be his hardest buyer.</p><p>"R-really?" Jaune asked him.</p><p>"Yes. They're going to do something that's unthinkable and plan to have a good time, so maybe I should step out of my comfort zone as well."</p><p>"That's the spirit!" Neptune exclaimed as he ran over to shake his hand violently.</p><p>Jaune looked back to the screen in front of him. He was still doubtful, but even Ren was joining the dark side on this one.</p><p>"Besides, it's like they said," Sun said, causing the others to look at him. "They want to have one last experience together before graduating, so we should do the same." He finished.</p><p>"Exactly." Neptune followed up.</p><p>Jaune let out a sigh before speaking. "I'm still not completely sure."</p><p>Neptune looked at Jaune before walking in front and crouching before him, putting a hand on his leg. He had one more play up his sleeve to convert the blond to his side.</p><p>"Even after those rude comments they made?" Neptune said. Take the bait.</p><p>"Comments?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"Yeah. What they said about you and Ren. They called you a doofus? Idiots? Remember?"</p><p>The comments flooded Jaune's head again as he remembered them. He had to get over the shock of the alcohol in the box before he could go back to what was said about him and his partner. He was used to being called those things before and was never able to retaliate against his "friends" with force.</p><p>A look then came over Jaune's face. A look that he didn't sport very often. It was a look of determination. He knew that if he couldn't retaliate with force, then he would do the next best option.</p><p>Got him.</p><p>"Okay. I'm in." Jaune said.</p><p>Neptune offered a smile and stood back up as the three in the living room watched him. He unrolled the paper in his hand and once again placed it on the coffee table next to his scroll. He cleared his throat before speaking again.</p><p>"Great. Now that we're all on the same page, we can go over how we're going to start this. After all," He pointed at Ren and Jaune. "You two are our most important pieces."</p><p>The two looked at each other with a confused expression before looking back at Neptune to see what he meant.</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"One of you two is needed for the very first task on this list." Neptune replied, pointing at the top of his list for planning. "One of you needs to get into Team RWBY's room and hide this camera car somewhere."</p><p>Again, they looked at each other before going wide-eyed, letting out a "WHAT?!" at the same time.</p><p>"Sun and I aren't from Beacon, so it'll look really suspicious if we're in their room let alone on the grounds right now. And in case you forgot, this video is from a week ago, so today is Friday. That means, this needs to be handled today." Neptune stated.</p><p>Ren was rubbing the sides of his head as Jaune sat there with a 'How-are-we-supposed-to-do-that' expression on his face.</p><p>"Just act like you need to borrow something from them and hide the car somewhere when they let you in." Sun said, shrugging.</p><p>The plan wasn't the worst idea. In fact, it was pretty good for Sun. The only problem remaining was... which one of them would have to do it? Jaune and Ren exchanged a look, knowing what the other was thinking. This was something they had picked up after working together for so long.</p><p>"The usual idea?" Ren asked.</p><p>"Sure." Jaune replied.</p><p>Neptune and Sun looked at the pair inquisitively. They watch as Ren reached into the right pocket of his pants and pulled something out. He opened his hand to reveal a coin.</p><p>"Call it in the air." Ren stated as he flipped it.</p><p>"Tails." Jaune said.</p><p>The coin fell onto the coffee table so that all four boys could see it land. It spun around before coming to a stop to reveal what the outcome was.</p><p>"Best two out of three?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"...No."</p><p>Fuck again.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There you have it. I know it was another set-up chapter, but it will help with the transition to the actual plot in the next chapter. Sorry if the scenery wasn't as descriptive as someone reading would want, but I'm still working that out the best I can with the help of my friends that are involved. My stories tend to be very dialogue-heavy as you can tell above, so hopefully that helps with a little more substance.</p><p>I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 2 of the story and I am already working on Chapter 3. I hope to have that up for all of you soon. In the meantime, going to crack a cold one open myself. Please review and give me any positive or negative feedback that you might have!</p><p>GodRealm</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Infiltration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again!</p><p>Well, I was hoping to have an actual release schedule, but being stuck in bed for the past few days with illness hasn't given me much to do, so I've been steadily working on chapter releases. Just don't expect a release every other day or so. I'm not nearly that creative. I want to thank you all again for taking the time to read over and review my story. I'm attempting to get better with my writing style and quality, but I know it'll take a dip eventually. But I digress.</p><p>Here's Chapter 3 for your viewing pleasure. Please leave a review at the end if possible, with your thoughts, feelings, concerns, questions, or rude remarks. I'm a big boy.</p><p>Italicized – Inner Thoughts</p><p>BOLD - Speaker</p><p>GodRealm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Chapter 3 - Infiltration</p><p>Jaune walked with a steady pace down the hallway of his dormitory. The halls were empty and the usual commotion of his schoolmates going to and from class was missing. He had come to enjoy the crowded halls and nearly being trampled to death just for taking a step out of his room. In a way, it was like being at home away from home. Growing up with a large family (of mostly sisters), this was nothing new to him.</p><p>He knew in a few short months that this would also be coming to an end. A frown adorned his face thinking of this fact. Guess we all have to grow up. He thought. Of course, he was excited to be able to sit for his licensure, but the experiences and camaraderie he had experienced in this school would be cherished memories that he'll take with him wherever he goes.</p><p>His thoughts traveled to his teammates. Would they all stay together after this? He sure hoped so. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were like additional family. Hell, he'd die for them as they would for him. Unlocking his semblance could be credited purely to his team. Ren was the brother he never truly had. He was silent and stoic, but he offered great advice. He always looked out for Jaune and whenever he needed him, he was there.</p><p>Pyrrha was like an additional sister, but at the same time, possibly his closest friend. Early in freshmen year, many believed they would wind up together. Imagine the goofiest guy at Beacon and THE Pyrrha Nikos? He had considered asking her out and they had even had their times when they could have acted on certain urges, but it wasn't meant to be. After discussing some of their thoughts, they found it best to just remain friends.</p><p>This isn't to say they didn't find each other attractive. Pyrrha had only gotten better looking with age and the same went for Jaune. They just knew what they had was a special friendship. They drove each other. He saw her as a normal girl, which was what she wanted more than anything after leading the life she had. And she was a good rock of confidence for Jaune. Being a leader wasn't easy, and she knew that.</p><p>And then there was Nora. And Nora was... Nora. She brought that wildcard effect to the team. She was like that little kid that got a hold of the candy she was never supposed to have. She was hyperactive, funny, and gross when she wanted to be. But she was also freakishly strong. Did she have the autism? Possibly. At first, she stuck with just Ren, but over time she opened herself up to Pyrrha and himself.</p><p>Yeah, his team was a family, just like Team RWBY. Speaking of which...</p><p>"All right." Jaune stated as he had finally come to his destination.</p><p>He stood in front of team RWBY's doorway. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead that he wiped with his sleeve. He had been given his instructions and knew there was no going back now. It was time for Jaune to pull this off. He had been given the car and placed it in the back pocket of his jeans. This was his moment. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door three times with force. Within seconds, he heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door.</p><p>The click of the door unlocking followed by it creaking open was what he saw next. The opening revealed a shorter, petite girl with white hair staring back at him.</p><p>"Jaune?" She asked.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Flashback – One hour earlier</p><p>"And that is how it will go, gentlemen." Neptune concluded.</p><p>Ren was leaning against the wall closest to the door with his arms folded over. His eyes were closed, but he had listened to every detail that Neptune had given. There was nothing much to explain and the hardest part was going to be what came next. He looked over at his blond teammate, Jaune, who was sitting at the table having a sip of water, also listening.</p><p>Sun was still on the couch, now flipping through the various channels of Neptune's cable package. He was taking it easy seeing how he by far had the easiest part of the operation, A.K.A. just showing up.</p><p>Neptune rolled his paper up placed it on the counter near his sink. Should I throw this away? He thought. Nah, I'll look back at this one day as a treasure.</p><p>"Any questions?" He spoke again.</p><p>Jaune raised his hand immediately, seemingly distraught.</p><p>"Yeah, definitely." Jaune responded. "I think Ren would be a much be-"</p><p>"Respect the coin, man." Ren shot back, keeping it short.</p><p>Jaune stood up from the chair immediately after the response ready to plead his case. He was slightly pale again and his blue eyes showed signs of worry.</p><p>"Oh, come on. You're better at keeping your cool than I am. And I-"</p><p>"Coin."</p><p>"I thought we were friends!"</p><p>"We are... if you respect the coin."</p><p>Jaune let out a sigh. He knew he was defeated. He had lost fair and square.</p><p>"I just... I don't know how to go about hiding this thing somewhere in their room with them not watching me do it." He said, motioning to the tiny car now in his right hand. "Even before that, how am I supposed to get in there?" He finished.</p><p>Neptune turned around from the kitchen counter and shook his head.</p><p>"You're their friend, aren't you? What other reason would they need to let you in their room?" He gave as a response.</p><p>"I mean, yeah, we're friends and all, but that doesn't mean they will let me just walk on in. This is a bedroom of four women. Do you think they want a guy in there, especially when they're planning whatever they're planning for later?" Jaune retorted.</p><p>Ren's eyes opened as a response and Neptune rubbed his chin. Sun simply ignored the question. Not his problem.</p><p>"Ask to borrow something?" Ren offered.</p><p>That's it? Jaune thought, shooting Ren a look of annoyance.</p><p>"Look, Jaune. You're going to have to improvise somehow. I put this thing together and your part is to make this work. I know it's not an easy task, but once it's done, we are in the clear." Neptune stated.</p><p>Jaune looked back at the blue-haired man this time. He sighed and took a seat once more at the table and took a sip of his water.</p><p>"Easy for you to say. You'll be safely tucked away here until tonight when we move to our room." Jaune replied, motioning to Ren and himself.</p><p>Neptune took a seat at the table and sighed himself. He reached out to put a consoling hand on Jaune's shoulder. Jaune looked up at him from the glass he was twirling around.</p><p>"I know I am asking a lot of you, buddy. And trust me, if it were my school, I'd have Sun do it instead."</p><p>Sun coughed at this and looked back at two sitting at the table from the couch.</p><p>"Why me?!" Sun asked.</p><p>Neptune kept his hand on Jaune's shoulder as he looked over, narrow-eyed at his own teammate.</p><p>"That's because you have nothing to contribute to this. You're basically a freeloader."</p><p>Sun shrugged and turned around after hearing this. He went back to laying out on the comfortable couch he had been on for the better half of an hour at this point. He picked the controller up and began flipping through channels as he had been earlier.</p><p>Back at the table, Jaune still felt unconfident about this.</p><p>"I'll give it a shot." He managed to say.</p><p>Neptune released his shoulder and clapped his hands together as almost to say, 'Thank you.'</p><p>"Great. I knew an Arc never goes back on his word." Neptune answered with a smile.</p><p>Jaune simply smiled back.</p><p>End flashback</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Jaune?"</p><p>"HiNeighborDoYouHaveSomeSugarICanBorrow?" Jaune nearly yelled out with eyes shut, nervous as can be expected.</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>Jaune opened his eyes and met the gaze of a confused, blue-eyed girl known as Weiss Schnee. She was staring up at him, almost concerned.</p><p>Jaune reached out with the measuring cup that he had been carrying in his left hand, while rubbing the back of his head and neck with his right.</p><p>"I... uhh... was wondering if you might have... some sugar... I could borrow?" He squeaked out.</p><p>Her look of confusion changed to a narrow-eyed expression of annoyance. Jaune began to sweat a tiny bit more after that. She can't be on to me already, can she?</p><p>"Why would we have sugar?" She answered. "You know all the extra supplies are kept in the common area down the hall."</p><p>Fuck, I'm an idiot. He thought.</p><p>Trying to regain his composure, he coughed and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Yeah, I already checked there. Nothing." He responded, lying of course.</p><p>"What about the other floors of the do-"</p><p>"Nope! Nothing! Checked there to!" He responded, quickly.</p><p>She opened the door wider and folded her arms over her chest. Still annoyed, she gave a sigh afterward.</p><p>"Really?" She asked.</p><p>She turned around as if she was already ending this discussion, one hand on the other side of the door from inside the room.</p><p>"Well, I hate to break it to you, but none of us have any sugar that we're hoarding so you might want to just head on down to the corner-"</p><p>At this time, Jaune felt like he was about to lose his best opportunity to plant the camera car. As she attempted to shut the door, he placed his foot between the door and the frame to stop it in place. Weiss felt the resistance looked back at Jaune, confused once more.</p><p>"A-are you sure? Could you at least ask the others? Please?" He asked her, almost pleading.</p><p>She let go of the door with a sigh and opened it all the way.</p><p>The opening of the door revealed her other roommates. Blake was on her bed, reading another one of her books. Erotica. She was flipping through pages as if looking for something specific. She had undoubtedly read this book multiple times before with that kind of knowledge. Jaune had caught her more than once drooling over one of her "novels" she enjoyed reading. It didn't take a genius to know what it was. Plus, Ruby confirmed it for him later.</p><p>Yang was at her desk, applying some sort of makeup while simultaneously messing with her hair. A little much for a night in. She ignored the look Jaune gave and was keeping to herself and what she had been doing prior to his arrival.</p><p>Lastly, Ruby was on Weiss's bunk with her eyes shut, listening to her headphones. She had her hands behind her with a smile adorning her face. She bobbed her head back and forth as the loud music played, also unaware that Jaune was there. What am I invisible?</p><p>"All right everyone." Weiss announced, causing Blake and Yang to look at her. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but does anyone have any sugar for our friend here?"</p><p>Blake and Yang gave Weiss a puzzled look at the same time. Jaune felt dumber by the second. The best he could do is sugar? Why didn't he ask to borrow Ruby's comics? Oum, he might have even been able to pull off asking for a tampon for someone, but he decided on sugar. He mentally kicked himself for his idea.</p><p>"Nope, sorry." Blake said as she went back to reading.</p><p>Yang chuckled to herself. "What are you actually trying to bake something there, Jauney boy?"</p><p>Jauney boy again? Why is this a thing? He thought.</p><p>Jaune coughed as a response and stood up straight. "Yeah, that was the plan."</p><p>Yang chuckled again and went back to her makeup. "Well, as interesting as that sounds, I don't have any sugar for you either. Sorry."</p><p>Jaune sighed. This whole thing was not working. The only thing being accomplished was that he was making himself look dumber and losing credibility with Team RWBY. Weiss turned around to face him once again.</p><p>"There you have it." She stated. "As I said, you might just want to go buy some."</p><p>Jaune had one last shot he could take.</p><p>"Err, what about Ruby?" He asked.</p><p>Weiss turned towards her last teammate who had remained on her bed listening to music blissfully unaware of the situation going on in the room. Weiss shrugged her shoulders and began walking towards her.</p><p>"Well, I guess if anyone would have sugar it would be her." She stated.</p><p>She stopped next to Ruby and began trying to get her attention.</p><p>"Ruby. Ruby. HELLO, RUBY?!" She yelled with no response.</p><p>Weiss decided she had enough. She gripped both ends of Ruby's oversized headphones and with a small tug and a smile, she pulled them apart before letting them go and allowing them to smack her on both sides of her head. As a response, Ruby shot up out of her laying position to that of a sitting one. She rubbed the sides of her head as the headphones fell to the wayside on Weiss's bed.</p><p>"Ow. That hurt!" She yelled, turning towards the culprit. "Weiss!"</p><p>Weiss simply laughed at her friend's face and pouting.</p><p>"Sorry, but I've been trying to get your attention."</p><p>"Couldn't you have just tapped me?"</p><p>"I guess, but this was funnier." She shrugged.</p><p>Ruby crossed her arms and pouted again. Being the youngest of the group, she was often referred to as the "kid" of the group, and rightfully so. Being two years younger than the rest of your team will tend to come with that kind of stipulation. Especially when she acted the way that she did.</p><p>"Anyway, what do you want?" Ruby asked, still annoyed.</p><p>Weiss stopped her laughing and pointed over to Jaune who was smiling at the antics himself by the door.</p><p>"Jaune wanted to know if you had any sugar he could borrow. Yang, Blake, and I obviously don't." She replied.</p><p>Ruby looked over at Jaune who was standing awkwardly in the doorway and shot him a smile.</p><p>"Sure do." She replied.</p><p>Jaune and Weiss looked at her in surprise at this response.</p><p>"...What?" They offered in unison.</p><p>Ruby got up off the bed and dusted off her combat skirt while stretching out. She yawned afterward and looked back at Jaune.</p><p>"I've got a personal stash that I've been hiding under this bed here."</p><p>You've got to be kidding me. He thought. "O-Oh, that's great! Ren will be a happy man."</p><p>Weiss looked at her teammate with an annoyed expression.</p><p>"You've been hiding sugar under my bed? What's wrong with you? Do you want bugs?" Weiss stated.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry. You weren't complaining when I made those delicious treats just the other week when you had a craving." Ruby responded, bending down to look under the bed.</p><p>"I made those." Blake responded, not looking away from her book. Pervert.</p><p>"And I supplied the sugar." Ruby stated, looking at her while answering before going back to looking under the bed.</p><p>Jaune noticed that all the girls were currently preoccupied with what they were doing. Now it might be the best chance. He thought to himself.</p><p>Without missing a beat, he reached into his back pocket with his hand and gripped the car tightly, but not tight enough to cause any damage to it. He safely concealed it within his grasp and pulled it out of his pocket. He scanned the room for a safe spot to put it while the others were distracted. It had to be somewhere that had a decent view of the room. The last thing he wanted to do was get blamed for having a bad or no angle at all by the others.</p><p>Infiltration complete.</p><p>His gaze fell upon where Ruby was bent over near the bed. Nige thighs. He shook himself from his dirty thoughts and noticed where she was would be a decent spot. Underneath the bed would provide an optimal view for the others to see, as well as, himself. He just had to place it at the edge under her bed, but far enough under where it wouldn't be seen.</p><p>I'll pretend like I'm tying my shoe and place the car down while I do that. He thought. Not a half-bad plan on the fly.</p><p>"Hey, Jaune?" Ruby asked.</p><p>Jaune shook himself of his thoughts again and looked at Ruby who was now back to a standing position with what appeared to be a bag of sugar.</p><p>"Here you go." She stated, shaking the bag.</p><p>Jaune smiled. "Thanks, Rubes." He began making his walk over to where she was standing rather than have her come to him and destroy his plan before it could even happen.</p><p>"What are you making, anyway?" Ruby asked him.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>"Oh, uh, we, uh, we're making a chocolate cake." He replied, rubbing his head as he walked.</p><p>Ruby's face lit up like a Christmas tree. It's no secret that she was a glutton when it came to sweets and chocolate was her favorite. She started jumping up and down with her smile, shaking the bag further.</p><p>"CHOCOLATE CAKE!" She yelled. "I want some! Save me a piece for later tonight!"</p><p>"Y-Yeah, definitely!" Jaune answered, almost feeling about the lie. She sure is cute when she's excited. He thought.</p><p>Weiss patted Ruby's head to calm her down. Ruby looked at her with a confused look.</p><p>"Ruby, we have plans tonight REMEMBER?" Weiss told her, adding emphasis to the end of the question.</p><p>Ruby's face dropped to a frown right after. She had remembered that tonight was THAT night and she couldn't say anything about it.</p><p>"Oh. Yeah. Right." She replied in a monotone voice.</p><p>Jaune laughed again. He knew exactly what they were talking about. "Don't worry, Ruby. I'll save you a piece for next time I see you."</p><p>Ruby looked up at him again with a smile. "Really?!" She asked him.</p><p>Jaune replied with a smile of his own. "Yeah, you know it." Great, now I really have to bake a cake.</p><p>Jaune being caught up in his thoughts was never a good thing. As a matter of fact, some would say it was a hazard all its own. As he was approaching Ruby for the bag, he failed to recognize the book on the floor. Not only did he fail to recognize the book, but he lost his footing after stepping on the spine of the book, forcing him to fall forward from his position.</p><p>It was over in a second with a thud. He barely had time to realize what had happened. One second he was talking about cake and the next he was on the floor. Or was he?</p><p>"Uh... Jaune?" A voice asked him.</p><p>Jaune opened his eyes to find two silver eyes looking up at him from the floor. Apparently, his luck, or lack thereof, did it to him again. He found himself laying on top of Ruby. He had dropped the cup for the sugar that he brought with him but was still clutching the car in his right hand so that no one would be any the wiser.</p><p>Jaune could feel himself getting warmer. Embarrassment and excitement had set in. He could feel her breath on his face as she had spoken, and her chest was on his. He felt her tiny frame under him as breathed. He had braced himself with his left hand after dropping the cup, but only enough to make sure his weight hadn't squashed her in the fall.</p><p>"R-Ruby! I'm sorry!" Jaune stated, pushing himself off her warmth and moving himself to her left, next to the bunk bed.</p><p>"I-It's okay." She replied, sheepishly.</p><p>Her face was red. She felt how red it was. She tried to think of something else besides the contact, but her mind was a blur. Jaune and Ruby hugged regularly, but this was a different kind of force. She braced herself from the fall by grabbing onto his outstretched left arm that took the brunt of the fall.</p><p>So toned. She thought.</p><p>She sat up from her laying position, trying her best to hide her red face. She looked the other way from him and pushed the sugar towards his chest.</p><p>"Here you go! No hard feelings!" She stated, still looking away.</p><p>Jaune grabbed the bag with his left hand as he moved his right hand around his back. With a swift motion, he placed the wheels of the car on the ground and rolled it slightly under the bed so it should be out of view. He then used his right hand to push up from the edge of her bed and help himself back up to a standing position.</p><p>Mission complete.</p><p>Jaune was still red from the antics but knew he would have to recuperate and re-evaluate once he was out of the danger zone. He offered an outstretched right hand to Ruby to take and help her up.</p><p>"Thanks. Sorry again." He replied.</p><p>She looked back at him, still uneasy. She smiled and placed a hand in his and he helped her to her feet, just as he had done in their freshmen year when they had arrived at Beacon. The other three women in the room had watched the whole thing unwind and had devilish smiles on their faces.</p><p>"Geez, Jaune." Yang stated. "If you wanted my sister that bad you could have just said so. You didn't have to make up a story about sugar and then tackle her."</p><p>Both Ruby and Jaune went back to red with that statement as the other two girls snickered at the comment. The whole situation was completely mortifying.</p><p>"I... I... Have to go!" Jaune announced in a panic. He turned away from Ruby and ran for the door, slamming it behind him on the way out. He ran down the hallway, sugar spilling onto the floor as he just wanted to get some distance.</p><p>Once gone, Weiss, Blake, and Yang erupted into a burst of loud laughter. Ruby remained in the same spot with a red hue all over her face. The laughter eventually died. Once it did, she regained her composure and sat on the edge of Weiss's bed. She looked over at her headphones and picked them up once more as her gaze fell to the spot where Jaune and she had just had the incident.</p><p>The other girls went back to what they were doing as she continued to stare at the spot, almost smiling now. That wasn't so bad. She thought to herself.</p><p>Her gaze caught something out of place as she looked next to her nightstand near the bed. Upon further inspection she noticed exactly what it was. She reached out and grabbed it before looking at it closer in her hands.</p><p>"He forgot his measuring cup." She murmured. That's strange. She thought to herself as well.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not going to lie, this chapter finished up a lot quicker than I had anticipated. I was sitting around and thought I would get started and it just kind of kept flowing. I'm happy to say the boat has set sail on the actual plot now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to do my best to not procrastinate and keep putting out content on a regular basis.</p><p>Again, if you have any words of praise or criticism, I would love to hear them! Leave a review or shoot me a PM. I'm pretty open about all that.</p><p>Until next time!</p><p>GodRealm</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Night Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Chapter 4 – The Night Begins</p><p>Jaune had narrowly escaped a feeding frenzy of females. What was the cost of this? His most prized hoodie of 'Pumpkin Pete' that had been his trademark piece of clothing. It was now doused in sugar along with half of the dormitory hallway during his retreat.</p><p>This plan had better be worth it. He thought to himself, catching his breath while still being red in the face. I nearly lost my life in there. Who knows what would have happened had they had actually seen what was in my hand?</p><p>He leaned against the wall in the common area, taking a deep sigh after calming his breathing. The deed was done. What happens next was not his responsibility. Jaune had accomplished the one task given to him by the others and he was successful. He relished in this thought for a moment with a smile on his face.</p><p>It wasn't his first infiltration mission and certainly would not be his last. He had snuck into the danger zone filled with possibly the strongest team in the history of Beacon and walked out as the victor.</p><p>He slid down the wall slowly and landed on his behind. He brought his knees up and placed his arms against them, dropping what remained of the sugar onto the floor gently. He stifled a chuckle a few times but could hardly resist it breaking out into full-blown laughter. He really had done it.</p><p>"I... beat them. I really... beat them." He spoke aloud between his laughs.</p><p>His laughter eventually died as he felt his scroll vibrating within his pocket. He reached into his pocket to see the caller. Right on cue. Earlier, while running down the hall, he sent a message to the group that he was finished. He pressed the 'Talk' button and brought the device to his ear.</p><p>"Jaune's international spy service, we have 100% success rating, how may we assist you?" Jaune stated with a cocky smile.</p><p>"I can't believe you somehow pulled that off." Neptune stated.</p><p>Jaune helped himself up from the floor and began walking to the kitchen counter of the common area. He looked around to be sure no one was watching or listening to the conversation he was having before returning back to the phone.</p><p>"Yes, praise me. I have delivered unto you the salvation that you have desired." He replied.</p><p>Neptune laughed openly over the phone at the response.</p><p>"You've served your purpose, sir. Please, return to base for the next phase of the plan." Neptune responded, playfully.</p><p>"Sounds good to me." Jaune said.</p><p>Jaune clicked the 'End' button on his scroll to end the call. He smiled as he looked down at himself, realizing now how much sugar had coated his favorite hoodie. His smile dropped to an annoyed frown.</p><p>"I'm on my way." He spoke to himself this time. "After I clean myself up a bit."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Nora laid on her bed half asleep as she waited on her partner. Pyrrha always had a habit of dragging her feet. She thought it made sense because of how nearly perfect he was. She was strong, beautiful, courageous, and almost unbearable... to Nora.</p><p>Currently, Pyrrha was inside the girl's walk-in closet that she and Nora shared. She had been trying on different outfits to see what she thought suited her most. She had gone through nearly everything from dresses, to shorts, casual, and comfortable.</p><p>Nora didn't understand any of it. They were going across the hall to Team RWBY's quarters, not out on the town dancing. After all, they had nearly been banned from most clubs in Vale for... reasons. Granted, most of those reasons were because of Yang, but Nora herself was partly responsible to an extent.</p><p>"Pyrrha, come on already." Nora demanded. "We're going to miss out on the... thing." She finished, stopping herself due to the other presence in the room.</p><p>On the other side of the room were her other two roommates and partners. Jaune was reading his comic books over at the desk. He seemed to be totally unaware or uncaring as to what was going on. Ren was on his bed, sharpening his blades also not paying attention.</p><p>Typical boys. She thought.</p><p>As her thoughts continued, Pyrrha emerged from the closet at last. Nora looked over at her, smiling. She had opted for casual wear. She wore a red tank top with high sleeves that showed off her toned arms. The shirt extended down but left her navel exposed. Her bottoms were capris pants that hugged her hips and were rolled up at the ankles.</p><p>Even her usual hair that was in a ponytail flowed freely. She had her normal makeup on, but the appearance of a warrior had transformed into that of a normal, carefree girl. Jaune admired how far she had come. Long ago, she would have never thought to wear something like this and had opted to always be ready for battle.</p><p>He was glad she felt comfortable as her own person. You can't live battle to battle and they were young. She should enjoy herself as their teen years were fleeting.</p><p>"LOOK AT YOU!" Nor exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "What a babe!" She offered as a compliment.</p><p>Pyrrha rubbed her arm with embarrassment as she smiled slightly. She had given a lot of thought to tonight and as Ruby had mentioned before, she wanted to look and feel however she wanted. No regrets. She thought.</p><p>"Th-thank you, Nora." Pyrrha replied.</p><p>"No, I mean it! Look at you! If I were into girls, I would so totally do y-" Nora yelled before Ren could step in and throw a pillow at her head.</p><p>"You're a little loud." He said afterward.</p><p>Nora shot him a glare for the act, while Pyrrha silently mouthed 'Thank you'.</p><p>"Ren! I was just complimenting our teammate! Mind your business." She responded.</p><p>"Well, do it a little quieter, why don't you?"</p><p>He went back to cleaning and sharpening his weapon, seemingly done with the conversation.</p><p>"Oh, were you jealous, Renny?" She continued. "Jealous I've got my eyes on a woman rather than you now?" She smiled, chuckling slightly.</p><p>Renny? He thought initially, before continuing what he was doing.</p><p>"Not at all." He responded, flatly.</p><p>This annoyed Nora further. He always knew how to get under her skin more than anyone. He had known her longer than anyone and that came with advantages and disadvantages. And what bothered her more than anything? Being ignored of course. Not only that but blowing off her flirtatious manner with him? Punishable by death in her mind.</p><p>"One day... One day you will get yours!" She yelled. "One day I'll wipe that arrogant look off your face and you won't be so self-righteous." Point a finger at him in a serious manner.</p><p>He waved her and her threats off as he usually did, annoying her further. She directed her attention to Jaune who was just admiring as a spectator as he usually did. She dropped her finger and thought to herself for a second.</p><p>"Hey Jaune, did you know?" She began.</p><p>Nora had walked past everyone and went over to her bed looking for her street shoes instead of her regular combat boots. He exchanged a smile with her before re-directing his attention back to Nora for her question.</p><p>"Know what?" He responded to her.</p><p>"Did you know that Kuroyuri was known for its different exquisite coins?"</p><p>"Coins?"</p><p>"Yep, especially double-sided ones."</p><p>Ren stopped what he was doing immediately to try and interject himself into the conversation when suddenly there was a knock at the door. In a second, he shot up and sent a look to Jaune.</p><p>"You mind getting that Jaune?!" He asked more emotion than ever in his voice.</p><p>Jaune sat there, giving a confused look to both. He shrugged and stood up from his chair, placing his comic book back on the desktop. Making his way over to team JNPR's door, he could see Ren and Nora giving each other an intense stare. He couldn't make heads or tails of what she was asking him.</p><p>He made his way to the door finally before opening it. What he saw made his eyes wide in nervousness. Standing before him was Ruby, looking up at him with a nervous smile all her own. They stared at each other for a few seconds before shaking their heads from their thoughts.</p><p>"Hey again, Ruby." Jaune started.</p><p>"Hey yourself, Jaune." Ruby smiled.</p><p>"You, uh, need something?" Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?</p><p>His thoughts traveled back to earlier when he so graciously fell on top of her. His thoughts traveled to how close they were, her body beneath his, and her breath on his body. He had to shake himself of such thoughts.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm here to get Pyrrha and Nora." She answered.</p><p>From inside the room, Nora disengaged her stand-off with Ren as soon as she heard her name and looked over at the doorway. Her smile returned when she saw her, waving excitedly. Pyrrha also looked over once she had finished putting on her shoes and noticed Ruby.</p><p>"Rubes!" Nora exclaimed. "I'll finish taking you down a peg later." She spoke in the direction of Ren before walking over to the doorway with Pyrrha.</p><p>Ren was annoyed at Nora for the first time in a while. She had almost ruined one of the secret weapons that he had used for self-preservation. He coughed and looked over at the three girls at the door and decided he'd poke a little fun.</p><p>"What are you girls up to tonight, anyway?" He asked.</p><p>Nora looked back with a half-lidded smile. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She responded before walking out the door to the hallway.</p><p>"Actually," He continued. "You've all been playing very coy about your plans tonight."</p><p>The three women in the hallway all froze as he made those comments. Jaune himself shuddered at his comments. As if in a panic, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Nora looked back at him with a nervous smile. Pyrrha merely laughed to herself as Nora began whistling to herself, earning a narrow-eyed smile from Ren.</p><p>Ren walked closer to the door where Jaune was standing to continue the grilling of the three.</p><p>"It's almost like you don't want us to know something."</p><p>"We-we're just going to talk about girl stuff and maybe go out to eat later." Ruby responded to his questioning.</p><p>"Oh, is that so?" Ren replied, throwing his hands in the air to give off the 'I-don't-care' look. "Well, I forgot how boring and basic you girls really were."</p><p>Basic? Jaune thought.</p><p>"Well, carry on then. Don't want to keep you from your 'Super-secret basic night' any longer." He commented, walking back towards his bed.</p><p>Jaune watched him walk before looking back at the three women in the hallway. Pyrrha took a breath of relief. Could you all be any more obvious?</p><p>Ruby pouted in a cute fashion as Nora gave an angry look his way and from where he was standing, sounded like a low-pitched growl also? Ren really went at them.</p><p>His sugar is probably low. Jaune thought.</p><p>Nora stopped her growl and looked over at Jaune now who was caught by surprise at her sudden shift of eye contact to his.</p><p>"You got something to say too, Jauney-boy?" She asked, pointing a finger at him as the other two also looked at him.</p><p>He backed away slowly with a nervous laugh further into the bedroom. When I find out who started this stupid nickname, they're going to get a real piece of my mind.</p><p>"Who me? No, no, never. Have a good night, ladies." He stated, turning around about to close the door over.</p><p>"Wait a second." Ruby said from behind him.</p><p>Damn it, Ren. You better not have gotten us caught. He thought.</p><p>"Y-yeah?" He responded, turning back around to face her.</p><p>Ruby pulled out a measuring cup and offered it to him. He gave her a confused look with a raised eyebrow at the action.</p><p>"Your measuring cup? From earlier? For your cake?" She kept explaining.</p><p>It dawned on Jaune at that moment. Fuck.</p><p>"Oh, right! There it is! Thank you, Ruby. Boy, am I an idiot!" He responded with a nervous laugh, trying his best to pass off the situation.</p><p>Pyrrha gave a confused look to this herself. "Cake? Jaune, I didn't know you knew how to bake."</p><p>"Or cook at all for that matter." Nora said, flatly.</p><p>All three women were staring at him now with a confused look. Jaune could once again feel the sweat begin to form at the top of his head. He resisted the urge to scratch the back of his head, as it had been relayed to him that it was a clear giveaway that he was lying or nervous in situations like this.</p><p>"Well... I wanted to learn." He replied. "Maybe I want to learn how to cook for a family one day, you know?"</p><p>All three looked at each other and began laughing at his reply. He slumped forward at their response, unamused by their taunting response.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. I forgot how good you all are at cooking." He responded.</p><p>The comment earned him a silent, angry stare back from all three. It was no secret that all of them needed a crash-course in 'How to make a bowl of cereal without setting the dorm on fire', but hearing it surely was a kick to their pride.</p><p>"You're going to pay for that comment, Arc... Dearly." Ruby replied, almost smirking.</p><p>Her words stuck in his head as he once again started to back away, using the measuring cup as a makeshift shield as if they were going to punch him in the face. They kept their eyes on him as he reached for the door and slowly began shutting it.</p><p>"You three have a fun time!" He announced, slamming the door.</p><p>He waited a few seconds before hearing them walk away and enter Team RWBY's room. He breathed a sigh of relief, dropping the measuring cup to the ground before kicking it aside in annoyance. His antics garnered a snicker from behind him. He turned to see Ren, sitting on his bed again with a smile, undoubtedly laughing at him.</p><p>"YOU! You did this!" Jaune exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at his teammate.</p><p>Ren laughed a little more. "Oh, come on." He responded. "You stood up for yourself as you should have."</p><p>"Yeah, I wouldn't have had to if you didn't provoke them as you did. What if they had caught on to the fact we'd be watching them tonight?" Jaune complained.</p><p>Ren yawned at his statement. "There is no way they could have guessed that. I just wanted to shut Nora up." Ren retorted.</p><p>Jaune dropped his accusing finger and looked at Ren with worry. "I-I think Neptune's arrogance might be rubbing off on you."</p><p>"What does that m-"</p><p>The argument was stopped by a sudden soft "tink" noise. Both men stopped what they were doing in an attempt to find where it was coming from. They looked around the room before hearing the noise again.</p><p>Tink</p><p>Their gaze found its way over to the window. This time, along with the noise, they saw two pebbles hit the window. The looked at each other for a second before making their way over to the window and looking out.</p><p>In the courtyard, they saw Neptune and Sun waving at them with a hand full of tiny pebbles. Neptune had his headset and remote control to the recording device and car with him while Sun had a bag of supplies at his feet as he had promised to do.</p><p>Ren opened the window and poked his head out.</p><p>"What are you two doing throwing rocks at our window?" He asked.</p><p>"We can't risk being seen walking in the building by the others, so we figured we could just climb up to your room." Neptune replied.</p><p>Jaune and Ren looked at each other, somewhat annoyed. Wasn't this a little too much?</p><p>"All right, well why didn't you just call our scrolls? You still didn't have to go this route and risk Nora or Pyrrha seeing you instead." Jaune added.</p><p>Neptune and Sun laughed at the blond boy. "Not to worry. We've been regularly checking the camera since we came into range on the school grounds. We saw them go into the room just now." Sun answered.</p><p>"Oh, okay." Jaune replied.</p><p>"Plus, we found these rocks near your room and thought it would be fun to throw them."</p><p>"Son of a bitch."</p><p>Sun and Neptune placed a hidden ladder from the bushes up against the wall of the dormitory, lining it up with team JNPR's window. They then grabbed their supplies and began their ascent. Shortly after, they found themselves inside the room and unpacking the gear.</p><p>Neptune made his way over to the television in their room and began hooking up the equipment, meanwhile, Sun open his bag satchel bag and revealed a bunch of snacks and drinks for them to consume during the night.</p><p>Jaune was impressed with how prepared both men were for the night. He couldn't believe they were about to begin the operation. Finally, things were in place. He smiled, thinking at how things had unfolded since Neptune thought of this crazy plan. Everything from Cardin's video, to accidentally almost feeling up Ruby, and then dumping sugar all over the school's dormitory. Not that he much minded that second thing...</p><p>"Okay. Everything is ready." Neptune stated, standing up after messing with the wiring on the television.</p><p>The other three from the group made their way to sit in front of the television as Neptune powered it on while simultaneously powering on the camera feed again.</p><p>Sun munched on some potato chips as Jaune reached into the bag to see what he could get until his eyes found something at the bottom he wasn't expecting. There, at the very bottom was a case of alcohol.</p><p>"You guys brought beer too?" Jaune questioned.</p><p>"Yeah, we figured it would be a fun time for us too." Sun answered.</p><p>Jaune shrugged his shoulders and opened the case himself. He grabbed a bottle of "Torchwick's Lager". No points for a creative name. He thought. An IPA no doubt. He twisted the top off and took a sip of it.</p><p>He cringed and tensed up at the taste. It was strong. Something he was going to have to take slow and not try and down quickly. He grabbed a bottle for each of the three and sat down. He passed one to Sun and then Ren who accepted it as well.</p><p>Once Neptune sat down, he accepted his drink as well.</p><p>"We going to find out where you even got this?" Ren asked, untwisting his top.</p><p>"Probably best that you don't ask." Sun answered.</p><p>"All right everyone," Neptune cut in. "It's show time."</p><p>The camera feed was now LIVE.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Little Bit of the Bubbly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Greetings!</p><p>Again, I will repeat for those that don't opt to read disclaimers. This story is rated M for suggestive and ACTUAL happenings later in the tale. You were warned... Again. Here is Chapter 5 which sets up for the end of the first Arc of the story.</p><p>Italicized – Inner Thoughts</p><p>BOLD - Speaker</p><p>GodRealm</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Chapter 5 – A Little Bit of the Bubbly</p><p>The sound of bottle tops being tossed to the wayside was the only sound in the room. Their eyes scanned the television as it took its sweet time providing a picture.</p><p>Jaune and the others scooted closer to the television. The anticipation was clear on their faces. It took only a moment for the camera signal to feed over. What was the first thing they saw? Two eyes staring back at them through the lens.</p><p>This elicited a scream from all four boys.</p><p>"We're fucked." Jaune stated, making his way to the window without much hesitation.</p><p>"WAIT!" Neptune yelled. "Look."</p><p>Jaune stopped his escape attempt, beer bottle still in hand and turned back. Ren was by the bedroom door to the hallway and Sun had taken residence under one of the beds. Neptune directed their attention back at the television to see the eyes that were looking at them still.</p><p>Still? Jaune thought.</p><p>A few more seconds passed, and the eyes kept looking. Not a single movement or even a blink. Neptune waved them all back to the center of the room as he took the controller to the car and began putting the car in reverse slowly. The car backed further and further away, and the picture became clearer. Jaune, Sun and Ren were now back to the center of the room watching the scene unfold.</p><p>"Is... Is that a doll?" Sun squeaked out.</p><p>It was a doll. An old stuffed doll that had been under Weiss's bed for who knows how long. The group took a collective sigh before slumping back to the floor. A crisis had been averted. They all looked at each other before giving a laugh.</p><p>"Oh man, I thought we were over before it even began!" Jaune stated, now belly-laughing on his bedroom floor, still holding his cold drink.</p><p>"Yeah, no kidding!" Sun replied.</p><p>"Thank Oum these rooms are decently sound-proof, or they would have heard us scream like frightened children." Ren added, taking his seat once again still slightly pale from the scare.</p><p>"Great placement with the camera-car there, Jauney-boy." Neptune responded; sarcasm evident in his voice.</p><p>Jaune gave him a narrow-eyed, annoyed stare.</p><p>"Okay, number one! The next person to call me by that name is going out the window. Secondly, I basically chucked it under the bed, how am I supposed to know I left it facing some creepy-ass doll?" Jaune replied to the blue-haired wiseass.</p><p>Sun chuckled at the defensive response and picked his drink up again. "Man, you and your partner were about to leave us and tuck your tail between your legs too."</p><p>"You're the only one here with a tail," Ren replied. "plus, you were under the bed. Horror movie mistake number one. You'd have been the first to die." He finished with making a 'slit-throat' gesture while looking at the Faunus.</p><p>Neptune ignored the side-conversations behind him and focused on the camera-car. He played with the controls and began searching for the stars of the show. Slowly, so the wheels didn't make much noise, he began making one hundred-eighty-degree turn. Towards the far end of the bed, voices were a little clearer on the television and he could see the image of feet.</p><p>The peanut gallery behind him was still going on behind him, playfully bickering as they had come to do. He left his concentration on the task at hand and continued advancing the vehicle slowly. Closer and closer, the image of four women standing at a desk near the bedroom door.</p><p>At this time, they were making what seemed to be a small conversation while laughing. Neptune parked the vehicle towards the edge of the bed but remained in the shadows as to not give away his position. From this angle, he could see just about every part of the room and unless one of the girls were laying down and directly staring under the bed, there was no way they could be seen.</p><p>"Hey, guys." Neptune spoke.</p><p>The three boys behind him stopped their antics and looked at Neptune before looking up at the television once more. They silently picked up their drinks and took their seats. Neptune increased the audio so that they could pick up what was being said through the television speakers. Now was their time.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"And then he made fun of how we cook!" Nora exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.</p><p>"No he didn't!" Weiss replied.</p><p>"Yeah, can you believe it? The balls on that guy all of a sudden."</p><p>Weiss laughed at Nora's comment. "Who would have thought Jaune would actually have it in him to fire back. I'm proud of him." Weiss leaned back in the chair at the desk and finished touching up her hair.</p><p>Nora scoffed at the 'Ice Princess's' comment. Pyrrha also gave a small chuckle. "Well, it was short-lived, I can tell you that." Nora responded.</p><p>Weiss looked at her with a puzzled stare. "Is that so?"</p><p>Nora simply nodded. "Yep. Ruby mumbled a few words and it scared him straight."</p><p>Weiss was surprised by that. She looked over at Ruby who was leaning against their bedroom door, seemingly listening to the conversation while looking out the window. She smiled at her teammate. She didn't think she had it in her either.</p><p>Ruby was always aggressive in combat but when it came to making threats; her stature usually prevented anyone from taking her seriously. She was still the shortest of the group and most child-like. Of course, she had grown since her first year at Beacon Academy but in Weiss's mind and the minds of just about everyone, she was still "Little Red."</p><p>"Oh, really?" She stated, eyebrow raised and still smiling. "What did she say exactly?"</p><p>Nora sat on the floor, crossing her legs and leaning back against Blake's bunk bed for support as she threw her arms behind her head in a relaxed position. Pyrrha also sat down next to her.</p><p>"Oh, something about how he'll 'Regret it later, dearly.', or something like that." Pyrrha responded, thinking back on the funny incident a few minutes ago.</p><p>Weiss chuckled at the response.</p><p>Suddenly, Weiss's scroll went off at her desk. She looked over at it before picking it up and answering.</p><p>"Hello?" She asked. "You're here? Okay. Okay. We're coming now. Bye."</p><p>She placed the device down after a quick conversation. The boys watching could only presume it was the missing two of the group. They watched as Weiss stood up and asked the girls to follow her. One by one, they exited the room and made their way down the dormitory hallway.</p><p>The group inside Team JNPR's room remained silent as they heard the footsteps travel down the hallway. Their footsteps were silent as to probably not alert the boys to what they were doing. Neptune took this opportunity to re-locate the car to a better position.</p><p>He pulled out from under the bottom bunk and began heading towards the desk Weiss was previously at. Under one end of the desk was a small cubby hole that could fit the car perfectly and give a decent view of the entire room and left less room to be seen by the others once they returned to the room.</p><p>Shortly after this, the sound of footsteps could be heard again coming down the hallway. They grew closer and closer, but this time there was the sound of glass bottle 'tinking' together. The men in the room gave each other a look, knowing full-well what that sound meant. The party was about to get started. They remained silent again as the feet traveled passed them and entered the bedroom.</p><p>The camera-car caught each of the women as they entered the room and placed bottle after bottle of their drinks on the floor. The box was then placed on Blake's bunk which, by the sound of it, still had a considerable amount of alcohol in it. Blake wiped her head of sweat and gave an exasperated sigh after placing it down.</p><p>"Nora, I don't know how you carried that box all the way from town." She stated. "Just getting it from the tree to here between Yang and I switching off was exhausting."</p><p>She collapsed to the floor and leaned against her bed, catching her breath as the other girls poured in from the hallway and placed what drinks they had around the room. The guys could see that compared to what the women had, their case of what they were drinking was child's play. They had wine coolers, mixers, rum, tequila, whiskey, and much more. If Qrow saw this room, he'd probably become a little teary-eyed.</p><p>"That's because she's a freak of nature." Weiss commented, placing the drinks she was carrying on the nightstand near where Blake was sitting.</p><p>She took a seat herself on her bed with Pyrrha joining her shortly after placing her drinks on the floor near her.</p><p>"All right, girls." A voice said. "Time to start this night!"</p><p>From where the camera was, there was no visual of the speaker. The group of boys recognized the voice as Yang, and though they could not see her face, they did see her feet walk in front of the camera and block it temporarily. The cubby hole had a good angle on the room, but it offered little in terms of alternative angles once something was placed directly in front of it. The only option for the viewers would be to wait until she moved.</p><p>The audio still picked up what sounded like something being poured into glasses on the desk above. Soon after, the sound stopped, and Yang began walking over to the group. She began handing out a glass to each woman sitting down.</p><p>"What's in here?" Ruby asked her older sister.</p><p>"Cinder-ball shots. It's the only way to start off the night." She replied, smiling.</p><p>Ruby sniffed the drink in the shot glass prior to drinking it. She pulled her head away and her eyes teared slightly. "Wow, that's uh, strong. I guess?" She stated.</p><p>Yang laughed slightly. "Yeah, it's a bit much but it's the best way to start a night of drinking."</p><p>"I didn't realize you were such the professional on these things." Pyrrha said, shooting her a playful smile.</p><p>Yang returned her smile while sticking her tongue out. "I've been to a few parties in my years to know what's best for us tonight. Now everyone, take your glass, and let's raise it."</p><p>Each of the women picked up their shot glass and stood up to hold it together with each other.</p><p>"To one last girls' memory before graduation." Yang stated as their drinks 'clanked'.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>In the other room, Jaune raised his drink as the others smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing. They joined him on their feet and 'clanked' their drinks together with his.</p><p>"To a successful night of goofing off one more time before graduation, boys." Jaune stated.</p><p>"Cheers." They responded.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Cheers!" The girls responded, downing their shots and slamming them on the nightstand.</p><p>Ruby gasped after the small drinking, holding her throat as if she were dying. Pyrrha rubbed her back and tried to console her as the other four only laughed in her direction.</p><p>"Come on, Ruby." Weiss commented. "It didn't go down that hard. Just have to relax your throat."</p><p>"That's what he said." Blake commented.</p><p>The other girls just looked at her with wide eyes. Weiss was even left slack-jawed at the response. It took a minute for Blake to realize what she had said and covered her mouth as if to act like it wasn't her that said it. Somewhere across the hall were four teen boys also shocked but laughing at the comment.</p><p>"I... uh..." Blake commented further.</p><p>"I think you've been reading one too many dirty novels there, Blake." Yang commented, slyly.</p><p>She covered her face that was now red as ever while shaking her head in denial. The other girls began laughing, with exception to Ruby who was still coughing from her first Cinder-ball shot.</p><p>Weiss began picking up bottles while looking on her scroll, possibly for drink ideas. She finished her search and began smiling. The others looked at her as she began making something, adding mixtures and different alcohols together before giving them a stir. She picked up one of the cups and walked to Ruby, handing it to her.</p><p>"Here you go." She stated. "This might be a little more up your alley."</p><p>Ruby accepted the cup and began drinking it slowly. Her eye's opened and a smile came over her face. She kept drinking until her cup was empty and gave an 'Ahh' response after finishing it completely.</p><p>"That was great!' She stated, holding the cup In Weiss's direction again. "Do it again."</p><p>"Do it again?" She asked.</p><p>"Yeah! Again!" Ruby answered, shaking her cup.</p><p>Weiss shook her head with a smile and took the cup in response. "You really are such a kid you know that?" She stated, walking back over to where the drinks were.</p><p>Ruby pouted and stuck her tongue out. "You always say that! You're not that much older than me."</p><p>"Trust me, age has nothing to do with it." Weiss responded, finishing the drink and walking back over to Ruby.</p><p>She reached out and offered it again and Ruby gleefully accepted it.</p><p>"Leave her alone, Weiss." Yang cut it. "Her childishness is one of her best qualities."</p><p>"I'd have to agree. Ruby is always a lot of fun the way she is." Pyrrha responded as well.</p><p>Ruby finished her drink again, a pink hue highlighting her face as if she were several drinks in already. She had an annoyed expression captured on her face listening to the others talk about her.</p><p>"I'll *hick* have you all know *hick* I can *hick* be an adult too!" She blurted out.</p><p>The other five girls chuckled at her low tolerance to the drink. One shot and two mixed drinks and she's already in over her head. To be fair, she was indeed the smallest and obviously downing drinks as quickly as she had was going to not work out in her favor.</p><p>"Oh, is that so?" Yang asked. "What adult things do you do that we are unaware of? Please enlighten us."</p><p>Ruby began playing with her cup, flicking her fingers against it. Her gaze traveled to the floor where the "incident" happened earlier in the afternoon. The scene ran through her head over and over as it had throughout the day.</p><p>"Well... I" She started.</p><p>"No way!" Blake yelled, pointing at her!</p><p>Ruby's eyes shot open and looked over at her roommate as the others did to at her outburst. Blake was smirking and looking at Ruby directly at this point. The others shot her a confused look.</p><p>"You were thinking about what happened earlier, weren't you!" She shot at her teammate.</p><p>"What happened earlier?" Nora asked, downing a drink of her own.</p><p>Ruby hid her face in her hands, dropping the empty cup to the floor. "No! No! No!" She exclaimed while she shook her head violently.</p><p>"Jaune assaulted her." Weiss commented while taking a sip.</p><p>Nora nearly spit out her drink at the remark. Yang had to slap her back a little to help with the coughing that ensued after she had eventually been able to choke down what she had. Pyrrha gave Weiss a look mixed with confusion and surprise.</p><p>Ruby fell over on the bed and continued to hide her embarrassed face. Kill me now. She thought to herself as she laid there knowing this was going to be brought up.</p><p>"I'm sorry." Pyrrha started. "Jaune 'assaulted' Ruby?"</p><p>"Pretty much." Weiss answered, sipping her drink again. Damn, I'm quite the bartender. She thought to herself. "He tackled her to the ground and then held her there for several seconds."</p><p>Pyrrha and Nora were left speechless from this. They looked around to the other women in the room to confirm as Ruby just laid there, pretending she was part of the bed itself, motionless. Her teammates offered her no rescue as the questions continued.</p><p>"Why didn't you say anything earlier, Ruby?!" Nora asked. "Pyrrha and I could have taught him a lesson for that." She continued, slamming her fist into her hand and cracking her knuckles.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune sat there downing another drink as he knew he had eyes on him from the others in the room. The sweat on his forehead was returning. I hate Team RWBY. Was all he could think to himself as his interrogation was about begin also.</p><p>"Hey, buddy." Sun started. "So y-"</p><p>"I TRIPPED!"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"HE TRIPPED!"</p><p>The girls in the room looked over to Ruby who was now sitting up but still had her eyes shut.</p><p>"He tripped over one of Blake's books and we collided to the floor! That's all that happened, and you all know it!" She finished, pointing at each of her teammates.</p><p>Weiss continued her drink as Blake began to sip hers and look the other direction. Yang simply doubled over with laughter. Teasing her little sister had always been her favorite past time and something like this was no different. She knew that Ruby had SOME sort of feelings for the blond knight or else it wouldn't bother her as much.</p><p>"Okay! Okay!" Yang stated, standing up. She walked over and mixed herself another drink and quelled her laughter before taking a sip of her own. "I'm sorry, Rubes. It was just... interesting."</p><p>"Well it was embarrassing for me! It felt... weird." She admitted out loud.</p><p>Yang walked over to her sister and sat next to her on Weiss's now overly crowded bed, placing an arm around her sister's shoulder. Ruby looked at her with a serious face and Yang gave one in response to hers.</p><p>"It's all right. Weird how?" Yang asked.</p><p>Nora got up to refill her cup before noticing a radio.</p><p>"Hey girls, how about a little music?" She asked the others.</p><p>"Sounds good to me." Blake responded.</p><p>"Yeah! Music for girl talk!" Nor replied.</p><p>She strolled over to the desk where the camera-car was, blocking the view once again. She began playing with the knobs to the radio before finding a station.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The boys were then greeted with the loud sound of a radio on the desk blaring into the speakers of the television while their view was obstructed.</p><p>"Ah, damn it!" Neptune yelled, falling over in response.</p><p>"I think this spot might be no good, boys." Sun stated. "We won't be able to make out what they're saying."</p><p>The other hated to admit it, but he was right. They watched as Nora walked back over to the group and refilled her cup as she had previously wanted to. They watched as their mouths moved but they could hear what was being said.</p><p>"What can we do?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Neptune looked around the room with the camera after muting the speakers. It was going to be difficult to move with six girls in the room. He would have to find a better spot to listen in but at the same time, make sure the vehicle wasn't seen.</p><p>His eyes scanned the room for a few seconds before noticing a possible solution.</p><p>"There." He said, pointing to the spot on the screen. "They're all concentrated in between the bunk beds and in deep 'girl talk' conversation. I can sneak under Blake's bed from the far side without them noticing."</p><p>"Sounds good, but won't the radio still be a huge interference?"</p><p>Neptune began advancing the car out from the cubby hole under the desk and moved towards the other set of bunk beds for a better view.</p><p>"Cut me some slack." Neptune responded. "Once I get far enough from the radio I can try and cancel out the noise with the modifications I made. We should be able to hear everything they say, but obviously we will have our view obstructed a little more being under the bed."</p><p>"It still sounds like the best chance we've got now." Ren stated, finishing his third drink.</p><p>Ren watched as Neptune advanced the car further and further. His eyes were slightly glazed over traveled to Sun who was busy eating a bag of chips along with Jaune who snacked on a few pretzels.</p><p>Pancakes. He thought.</p><p>Ren stood up and brushed himself off as the others kept their attention on the television. He made his way over to the bedroom door. Pancakes. His mind was made up. This trivial snack food was not going to do it for him. Was this what buzzed cravings were? He had no idea. This was the first time he ever had anything with alcohol in it.</p><p>He reached for the knob, catching the attention of his roommate.</p><p>"Hey buddy, you okay?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Ren looked back at him slowly, emotionless as ever. "Pancakes." He stated, opening the door and walking into the hallway before shutting the door behind him.</p><p>"Well... okay then." Jaune stated, turning his attention back to the television.</p><p>Neptune found his way under the bed without any hassle. The group was too focused on what was going on to even pay attention to anything else. Sun cracked open three more drinks for himself and the other two, handing it to them to which they accepted.</p><p>Neptune pressed a few more buttons on his controller and fiddled with the speakers slightly. Within a few seconds, the sound of the blaring radio that had nearly destroyed their eardrums once amplified through the speaker had faded into background noise.</p><p>"Looks like we're back in business." Neptune mentioned to the others.</p><p>"You just need to be more aggressive!" A voice over the speaker came through.</p><p>"Yeah, that's pretty clear. I can hear Nora yelling... Again." Jaune replied, taking a big sip from his drink.</p><p>"Aggressive?" Ruby questioned.</p><p>"Yep. Jaune is soft on you, Ruby. Back him into a corner... and pounce!"</p><p>Neptune and Sun looked over at the other blond friend who was now coughing after hearing that statement.</p><p>"I'm sorry... what?" Jaune stated as he tried to get his bearings. Only one thought came to mind though as he continued to listen in.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Okay! I will end it there. I wanted to make this part one big chapter, but I didn't want to throw too much content in here at once, plus I plan to add the next chapter shortly. We've finally gotten to a point where I am content. Truthfully, I wanted to post this last night, but I knew with editing and all I should take my time rather than throw slop on a page and post.</p><p>Thanks for reading until the end and please post a review with any positive or negative feedback you might have. I try and answer everything by the time I post the next chapter. Again, I had a little help with this chapter so if some things seem different, you know why. Thanks again!</p><p>Next time: Chapter 6 – Lightning in a Bottle</p><p>GodRealm</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Lightning in a Bottle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 6 – Lightning in a Bottle</p><p>Ren stared at the batter in the pan. He continued to look at it as his vision became slightly blurry. His stomach growled loudly, and his mouth was watering. It had been a few minutes since he had left the room and opted to make his beloved pancakes. He took a sip of his drink, realizing it was finally empty now.</p><p>Why isn't this delicious bastard cooking? He thought. Sure, he poured in a little extra better to the pan but it wasn't doing much of anything.</p><p>He looked around for a place to put the bottle before realizing leaving any evidence of it would be a bad idea for all parties in the dorm. He had to think, and he had to do it quickly. He stared out the window before an idea popped into his head. Opening the window slightly and sticking his head out, he stared out into the Beacon academy courtyard and saw no one was around. Sticking his head back inside he reached out the window, empty bottle in hand and dropped the bottle. The result was a loud crash as it broke against the concrete at the bottom of the drop.</p><p>Oops... I thought there were bushes there.</p><p>He drew his attention back to the pan as the pancake continued not to form in the pan. Not many things made Ren angry, but unformed pancakes were definitely one of those things. He picked the pan up and brought it up to his face, inspecting it slightly.</p><p>"You think you're better than me? Who do you think you are?" He gritted between his teeth.</p><p>His angered concentration drifted downward to the stove after a "stare off" with the batter proving unsuccessful. He felt his anger slip away as he stared at top of the stove and made on big realization.</p><p>"Oh... it's off." He mumbled.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"I'm sorry... what?" Jaune stated as he tried to get his bearings. He had sprayed his beer slightly attempting to choke it down and was in the middle of a coughing fit. Sun scooted over to his left and began slapping his back to try and get him to calm down.</p><p>During the music coming on and the re-location of the car to under the other set of bunk beds, the boys had missed out on the context of the conversation, but what Jaune heard was more than enough for him.</p><p>She really wants revenge? He thought to himself as he continued his coughs. What was his best course of action? Should he try and apologize again? Or maybe it was time for him to fight back and prove he wasn't a push over. The thought of fighting Ruby in another match made his stomach turn as he thought back on how it had worked out before.</p><p>His track record against any member of team RWBY was never good, but he had bested each of them at least once with exception to Ruby. He may not have had a chance before, but maybe...</p><p>"Sun, you gotta train me." He turned around, grabbing his friend who was slapping his back.</p><p>"I... what?" He answered.</p><p>Neptune continued to try and listen in further with the camera-car, waiting for more information. Turning around to the two having a side conversation, he grew annoyed. "Hey, pay attention you two." He muttered.</p><p>The two stopped what they were doing and made their way back to the television. Jaune calmed down and regained his composure. He needed to have a level-head. Maybe there would be a weakness revealed if he continued watching. Something he could exploit in their upcoming battle.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"P-pounce on him?!" Ruby stated, red in the face. "I... I don't know what that even means." Waving her hands in front of her face frantically as she looked away.</p><p>Yang giggled at her sister's reaction to Nora's idea. The thought of Ruby taking that kind of initiative from her usual self was too funny. Ruby never had any interest in anything besides food and fighting. Just thinking of her making a play at anyone, let alone Jaune was almost unfathomable. In any case, it also warmed her heart to think of her becoming a woman.</p><p>Her other thoughts traveled to Jaune of all people. Sure, he was weird, awkward and even slightly feminine for Ruby's first choice of love, but she also knew he was a good guy. He was reliable and had his moments where he could be a true leader. She knew he would never hurt her and if he somehow did... well, she'd kill him. End of story.</p><p>She took another sip of her drink as she watched her teammates and friends try to give her confidence in the realm she had no experience. Damn Weiss, this drink kicks ass. She thought.</p><p>"It means just go at him! Some men can't resist that." Nora replied.</p><p>"I can't do that!" Ruby exclaimed jumping up from the bed.</p><p>"WHY NOT?!" Nora fired back at her friend. "You're hot! I bet he'd give in no problem!"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune was sweating more than ever. She was going to come swinging at him directly? She wasn't even going to wait for an official match? That means she could attack at any time she wanted. He held his head to try and remain calm while doing some breathing exercises.</p><p>"Sounds like you're in real trouble there, Jaune." Neptune replied, looking back at his friend.</p><p>"Sounds like they're setting a real trap for you." Sun also replied, stuffing his face with more junk food.</p><p>"...Shut the fuck up." Was all Jaune could muster right now.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"I... I... I don't have experience in stuff like that, okay?!" Ruby gave as a defense, walking over to the radio, changing the song to something else. Blake and Nora walked over and followed Ruby as the music got louder and louder, now out of reach of the audio speaker of the camera-car.</p><p>"Hey..." Blake said, offering Ruby a smile. "I could be reading this wrong, but I'm pretty sure Jaune s completely into you, Rubes. I don't think you give yourself enough credit."</p><p>"You really think so, Blake? I mean... even if it's true, I don't know how to approach him. Maybe it's best we stay friends." She thought, frowning slightly.</p><p>Nora came from behind both girls and threw them in headlocks. The shock from this almost took both girls to the ground, staggering to catch themselves at the last second. Nor had a big grin on her face as she looked down at both of them.</p><p>"No way! Screw that!" She exclaimed.</p><p>"N-Nora?!" Ruby said, surprised by the move.</p><p>Nora kept them both in headlocks as she walked them back over to the group that was refilling their cups with more drinks. The floor was cluttered with empty bottles at this point.</p><p>"Yang and I bought something earlier tonight that'll give you a total confidence booster for our plan!" Nora said, continuing to walk them over like children.</p><p>Yang's head shot up from her cup as she heard Nora's comment.</p><p>"Oh, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed.</p><p>Pyrrha held her head, clearly tipsy from all the drinks she had consumed in such a short amount of time. "F-Forgot what?" She responded, weakly.</p><p>Yang walked over to the box on Blake's bed where the remainder of the drinks were. Nora smiled, keeping Blake and Ruby in a headlock as they struggled to get free. Weiss was nursing her cup, but watched as her teammate opened the box and began digging through it.</p><p>Within a few seconds, she pulled out an all blue bottle that was a dark shade of blue with a cap a cork in the top of it. It looked like a chemistry flask, but the inside was glowing, giving off a bright discoloration within the blue.</p><p>"What... is that?" Weiss asked.</p><p>Yang and Nora smiled at each other as Yang held it up for everyone, even the now slightly unconscious Pyrrha to see.</p><p>"This is Lightning in a Bottle, girls." Yang said proudly, shaking it slightly causing a white discoloration to shoot around inside the bottle.</p><p>Nora released Blake and Ruby who fell to the floor gasping for air. She ran up to it and snatched it from Yang's hands, causing Yang to recoil at the sheer speed of the orange-haired girl. She stared at it with an almost-evil smile before laughing maniacally causing everyone to stare at her.</p><p>When Nora found this bottle, she was sure it was destiny. Yang and herself had researched the drink and seen what it could do. It was a drink that was nearly all alcohol... infused with dust. Yes, dust. It was new to the market and hard to even come across in Vale. Being a higher-end drink, it was costly and not meant to be consumed as a whole drink.</p><p>After finding that it was in stock downtown, they knew they had to have it. They searched almost every store for it, and they would not be denied once they found it. For weeks following that, yang would occasionally stop in and flirt with the clerk manning the register, planting the seeds for when the time came. The poor boy never stood a chance once she began wearing some rather provocative clothing. Yang was confident in her body and knew for them to get their hands on any of these drinks, she had to use it.</p><p>To some girls, maybe this would have bothered them, but Yang was proud of herself and she knew she was a strong woman and something like a little harmless flirting wasn't going to change that image. Plus, the guy had a really cute butt...</p><p>Ruby and Blake regained their composure enough to stand up and walk back over to the bunkbeds, taking a seat next to a drooling Pyrrha.</p><p>"Lightning in a Bottle, huh?" Blake asked.</p><p>Yang nodded her head. "That's correct. It's a specialty drink that's 80% alcohol."</p><p>The rest of Team RWBY's eyes shot open as Yang made the announcement. Eighty percent? That's sounding like something really dangerous.</p><p>"How do we drink something like that?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"It's simple. We fill our cups and down it." Yang replied.</p><p>"Are you insane?!" Weiss shot back.</p><p>Yang waved her hands in a 'calm down' motion to try and make Weiss slow her roll. Weiss always tended to overreact. It was one of those personality traits that made her who she was.</p><p>"Hey, hey, just hear me out." Yang replied.</p><p>"I don't know, this sounds pretty dangerous taking all that in at once. I mean, Pyrrha is already fading." Ruby replied, picking up Pyrrha's arm and dropping it on her own face a few times.</p><p>Nora began pouring the liquid into six different cups. The color was more vibrant than ever once dispensed into the cup. The smell was potent, even to Nora who had a strong aptitude for anything. It singed a few nose hairs, that's for sure.</p><p>She began passing the cups out to all the girls in the room after they were ready. One by one they all accepted their drinks. Pyrrha had to be slapped awake a few ties, but even she woke up and accepted hers when she could finally support her own weight. Ruby was the last to get hers, staring at it with unease on her face.</p><p>"You need this more than anyone." Nora said, handing the last cup to Ruby.</p><p>"Wh-Why is that?" She asked, taking the cup in both hands.</p><p>Nora walked over to Yang and smiled at her, along with her older sister.</p><p>"This drink is infused with a little dust." Yang started. "That means it'll have a different effect on everyone. More than anything, it's going to mess you up, but it'll give you the confidence to do anything."</p><p>Blake, Weiss, Ruby, and a semi-conscious Pyrrha gave a look of shock. This drink had dust in it? They had learned in class that taking dust into your body could be harmful. Then why was it a drink? Who would even think of something like this?</p><p>"Is this even safe?" Blake asked, swirling it around in her cup.</p><p>"It's safe. There's only a small amount of it in there and the reason the alcohol is 80% is to off-set it. The alcohol actually prevents it from doing harm to your body, but it's still going to have a different effect on everyone. It's like when we add water to dilute something, except the alcohol is actually diluting the dust." Yang answered.</p><p>"You really looked into this didn't you?" Blake asked again.</p><p>Yang and Nora looked at each other with a grin on both of their faces before nodding. While their goals were different, they knew this drink was going to provide them with an interesting night. Yang wanted it for a good time and to let loose. The dust itself was going to give them an overall boost in power with an indefinite half-life. She wanted to test its limits and be drunk at the same time. And it would be fun to watch the others stagger around as well.</p><p>Nora had an entirely different goal. While she also wanted to reach new limits with her power, the confidence to do anything meant possibly going after Ren in different ways. Ways he couldn't resist. Sure, it was a dirty tactic, but after the stunt he pulled earlier, the gloves were off. It was no secret to the others and even Ren how she felt about him, and she was going to show him if that's what it came to.</p><p>Ruby once again looked into the cup. This was not how she expected the night to go. Was she about to actually get "wasted"? The idea of losing control scared her but also left her with excitement. It was a thrill she had never experienced, and she was the one who spoke of "having no regrets."</p><p>She shook her head and put on a confident face. As the others spoke, she brought the cup to her lips and slowly began taking in the liquid. It burned her tongue at first, but she wanted to be sure she had the full experience and began chugging it until it was empty.</p><p>The others stopped what they were doing as they watched her drop her cup to the ground. Weiss and Blake's eyes went wide as they saw their team leader take the whole drink down in one swig. They coughed and put their cups down to watch what happened.</p><p>Nora grinned widely at Ruby's actions. "That a girl!" She yelled, downing her drink just as quickly.</p><p>Pyrrha watched with half-lidded eyes as her friend and teammate drank theirs and wanted to follow them. She drank about half the cup before she had to put it down. Her limit was reached, and she fell backwards onto the bed, seeing nothing but the room spin.</p><p>Yang held her cup to her mouth, smiling at her sister's job well done. She had no fear of what would happen, and she knew she had to do the same. With one foul swoop, she downed her drink as Weiss and Blake still watched on, waiting to see what would occur.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Mother of Oum..." Neptune stated, watching the scene unfold with a look of astonishment clear on his face. "I think we just hit the mother load of content."</p><p>Sun and Jaune were speechless as they watched everything happen. The actually drank dust. Yes, it was more alcohol than anything, but still. Jaune wondered what the dust could really do and how long it would last. He knew that Yang mentioned it would be different for everyone, but he worried more for himself than anything.</p><p>If Ruby chose to fight him tomorrow, would it still be in effect? Would it increase her power further? Would he get beat up by a girl again? The thought of this scared him. Perhaps the best course of action would be to stay at Neptune's for a few days until this whole thing blew over.</p><p>"Hey." Sun commented, gaining their attention again. "Is something happening?"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Back in the room, three of the four women who had consumed the drink began to feel something coursing within them. Pyrrha, unfortunately, was feeling the adverse effects of the alcohol prior to the Lightning drink causing her to feel the room spinning in different directions. She smiled as she felt herself moving all around all the while laying completely still.</p><p>Nora could feel the power surging within her. Was there actual lightning dust in this drink? She thought. A smile adorned her face as she felt herself powering up. The added boost was hard for her to contain within her body and she felt herself getting warmer and warmer.</p><p>Yang was experiencing something similar to Nora. She was harnessing the power flowing through her and she began to glow a bright red. She needed a fight right now. The intensity was so strong, but she felt weightless at the same time. She felt so pumped like she hadn't before.</p><p>"You!" Yang yelled in the direction of Nora.</p><p>Nora was currently hugging herself, getting the full effect of the heat being generated by her body. The electrical current surging through her body were building up more and more. The static being let out of her body was even making the hair on her head stand up.</p><p>"You want some of this?!" Nora yelled back, pointing at Yang.</p><p>"Hell yeah, I do!" She replied.</p><p>The two began making their way towards each other in a slow, unsteady pace. Weiss and Blake took this time to dump their drinks out the window. They wanted no part of this freakshow. Normal drinks would do the trick for them for the night as they moved to mix something else together and watch what happens next.</p><p>Their eyes traveled to Ruby who was in a daze, seemingly. She stared up at the ceiling, giggling to herself. Weiss made an attempt to walk over and check on her as yang and Nora attempted to "fight" each other, which was an overstatement.</p><p>Nora threw a noodle-arm swing at yang who ducked under it slowly and without composure. She dropped to one knee, unable to keep her balance. She reached an out-stretched arm at Nora's collar and took hold of it. This earned her a Nora head butt, which made her drop the collar and fall backwards. Both girls grabbed their heads in pain as they tried to stand straight up.</p><p>Their vision was blurry, but they had overwhelming power within them they needed to let out. Only problem was that the motor and sensory systems were all out-of-whack from that drink. The alcohol content was playing a bigger part than either though it would. Yang staggered herself back to her feet and finished rubbing her head. Nora shook herself from the pain and raised both her fists.</p><p>"Hey Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss asked in a concerned manner.</p><p>Ruby's giggling stopped and her gaze dropped to her friend who was standing in front of her perplexed. Ruby began laughing again.</p><p>"What's so funny?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"Your face!" Ruby yelled back, now fully laughing.</p><p>Weiss gave a look of annoyance to her teammate. "My face?" She asked.</p><p>Ruby kept laughing and fell over onto Weiss's bed next to where Pyrrha was laying, experiencing her own type of drunken stupor. "Your face is funny!"</p><p>Weiss only grew more annoyed at the comment as Ruby continued to laugh like an idiot. Blake was behind her stifling a giggle of her own. Weiss shot her a look, but she only continued to laugh at Weiss's annoyance with Ruby. She sighed and turned back to Ruby who couldn't contain herself, now kicking as she laughed.</p><p>Back on the other side of the room, the "fight" had barely escalated as Yang and Nora were now leaning on each other to support their bodies. The power surge was still strong, but they found themselves losing more and more muscle control. Yang pushed off Nora with her right arm and attempted to throw a fist only to face plant on the floor.</p><p>"Oww!" She yelped.</p><p>Nora fell forward onto the floor, landing on her knees and then her outstretched hands. "Do-does this mean I win?" She stated, trying to keep herself up. She could feel the lightning presence building up more and more within herself with nowhere to release it.</p><p>"Whatever." Yang mumbled into the carpet. Once she regained her muscle control, she would take out anyone who got in her way.</p><p>Nora collapsed in between the bunks finally, into a prone position. This fight was over before it even began.</p><p>Blake couldn't believe what she was watching. Between the "fight", Pyrrha's drooling, and Ruby laughing at Weiss and her pissed off reaction, she was having a pretty good time. She got up to take pour herself another drink, feeling tipsy, but wanting to continue on this plane between buzzed and drunk.</p><p>"Cat ears!" She heard a voice yell behind her.</p><p>Blake had no time to react as Ruby launched herself onto her head and grabbed both of her ears causing her to drop her cup in surprise.</p><p>"R-R-Ruby! Don't grab those they're sensitive!" Blake cried.</p><p>Ruby ignored her friend and only kept rubbing them and laughing loudly. Blake dropped to one knee as Ruby played with her ears against her will. Every time she attempted to reach for Ruby's hands, she would rub harder and harder, causing Blake to shudder.</p><p>"Weiss, help me!" Blake yelled.</p><p>"Cat ears!" Ruby continued.</p><p>Weiss watched on, giggling herself now.</p><p>"Karma's a bitch, huh Blake?" She commented back to her Faunus friend.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"This is a gold mine." Jaune commented, laughing.</p><p>He took a final swig from his beer and put it back in the box with the other empties. He noticed they were finally empty on their alcohol, much to his dissatisfaction. He had been having a good time drinking with his friends watching this show. He opted for a soda that was also in the bag Sun had brought over and moved back in position to continue watching.</p><p>Sun was laughing at what was unfolding on the screen as well. "Y-yeah, I'm so glad we did this."</p><p>"Didn't I tell you everything would be fine?" Neptune commented to them both.</p><p>They both laughed in response. They had to hand it to him. This plan turned out just like he thought it would. Maybe he was as smart as he thought. Of course, they could never actually let him know that or they'd never hear the end of it.</p><p>"Nothing here could possibly go wrong."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>After several minutes, Yang regained enough control of her body to finally stand. She knew come morning time she was going to need an IV of water to help her electrolyte imbalance. She turned around to see the antics of her sister and Blake. She saw Blake nearly begging to be let go and thought it time to finally lend a hand. She walked over to where they were before noticing Nora, laying on the floor unconscious.</p><p>She bent down to try and wake the sleeping Valkyrie. She tapped her a few times but there was no response besides an obnoxious snore. Annoyed, she began to smack her a little harder on her legs.</p><p>"Come on, Nora. Don't sleep on the floor. You'll get sick." She commented, still smacking her. She continued to smack until she began to shake her instead. After a few seconds, she felt a surge of lightning come off her body and she was forced to back off.</p><p>"Ow. That hurt." Yang stated, shaking her slightly electrocuted left hand. Her attention was then directed back to Nora who was shaking slightly on the floor.</p><p>The other girls, including Ruby who had now stopped attacking Blake turned their attention to Noraas well.</p><p>"What the..." The girls began.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Fuck?..." The boys questioned together.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Suddenly, Nora let out a discharge of electricity in the room, sending a small shockwave across the girls in the room. More than that, it began affecting everything from the lights, to the radio, and all other electronics in the room... including the camera-car.</p><p>The lights flickered on and off for a short time as the radio began to fail. Smoke emanated from the outlets and the music cut to silent. The remainder of girls in the room fell over from the sudden course of electricity hitting them all at once.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Across the hall, the boys had lost visual on the camera after the discharge of electricity. Neptune felt a slight spark come through his headset that was plugged into the television. He dropped it to the floor in response to the shock, rubbing his face.</p><p>"What... just happened?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"Ah!" Neptune yelled. "Looks like your friend across the hall had a problem keeping her power in check. Still, that's kind of crazy that she could store and release that much."</p><p>"What do we do now?" Sun asked.</p><p>"I'll have it up and running again shortly. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces after that." He commented. Pulling out some tools to repair the wiring to the headset and controller as the television power returned.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Back across the hall, the girls were recovering from the lightning they had been subjected to. They did a visual check around the room to assess the possible damage that might have been caused. The power to the lights had finally become stable and were no longer surging, but the radio was fried beyond repair.</p><p>Weiss sighed. I'll have to save up for another one. She thought.</p><p>"That... felt... great!" Nora yelled, still laying prone in the floor.</p><p>The other girls, minus a now completely unconscious Pyrrha from both alcohol intoxication and electrical shock, just looked at her with annoyance.</p><p>"Nora!" They yelled in unison.</p><p>"What?! I couldn't-"</p><p>"What... just happened?"</p><p>"What was that?" Blake asked.</p><p>"It sounded... like Jaune?" Weiss commented.</p><p>"Ah! Looks like your friend across the hall had a problem keeping her power in check. Still, that's kind of crazy that she could store and release that much."</p><p>"And... Neptune?" She continued.</p><p>"But where's it coming from?" Yang asked.</p><p>"What do we do now?"</p><p>The group bent down to try and find where the noise was coming from. Blake, using her poor, abused ears, crouched down and looked under her bed. What she saw made her eyes go wide in response. Slowly, she reached under with one hand and grabbed the object the noise was coming from. She sat on her bed as her friends looked at her. She opened her hand and revealed a tiny, toy car with a camera on the front of it.</p><p>The others just stared in disbelief.</p><p>"What the hell is that?" Yang asked.</p><p>"I'll have it up and running again shortly. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces after that."</p><p>It took only a second before they all realized what was going on. They were being recorded.</p><p>Silence filled the room as the continued to listen in on what the boys were saying.</p><p>"Yeah, they're probably freaking out and yelling at Nora." Sun laughed.</p><p>"Hurry up, Neptune. My television is back to working. I don't want to miss a second." Jaune ordered.</p><p>"My television?" Ruby commented. She looked at the others, who in return looked at her. "Girls... they're across the hall."</p><p>A devilish smile spread across the faces of Team RWBY and Nora after she finally got back to her feet. They all stood up and began making their way towards the door leading to the hallway, camera-car in hand, leaving a passed out Pyrrha in the room.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Hurry up, Neptune. My television is back to working. I don't want to miss a second." Jaune ordered.</p><p>Jaune tinkered with the remainder of wires behind the television before emerging and putting his tools away.</p><p>"Calm down, Jaune." He replied, picking up the headset. "It should be good now."</p><p>He pressed a few buttons on the controller and headset and they saw a picture return to the television. It just wasn't the picture they were expecting. Directly in the camera, they saw several sets of eyes looking back at them.</p><p>The room went silent as the blood inside all three boys went cold at the realization. Audio returned to the television seconds later.</p><p>"My television? Girls... they're across the hall."</p><p>The room remained silent as they watched on camera five of the six girls make their way towards the door to Team RWBY's room. Sun immediately ran for Team JNPR's door and made sure it was locked. From the other side, he heard the door across the hall open.</p><p>Neptune dropped his headset and began rapping it up along with all of his electronics as Jaune stood still as a rock.</p><p>*Knock Knock*</p><p>"The window." Neptune announced, quietly.</p><p>The other boys looked back at him with a questioning glance. Neptune opened the window and began climbing down the ladder. The other two nodded their heads and made their way towards the window. Sun climbed out first, followed by Jaune. As he stepped out the window, he could hear a key being inserted into the door. Nora's, no doubt about it. He thought.</p><p>As he got both legs onto the ladder and was climbing down, the door swung open with force and five women barged into the room. They made eye contact with him for only a second as he shut the window with a loud "slam" and slid down the ladder, knocking it away so they couldn't follow behind him. He took off into the night with Sun and Neptune shortly after.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>All five girls watched made eye contact with Jaune as he narrowly escaped out the window. They each ran to the window just in time to see him hit the ground running. They opened the window to give chase, but he had moved the ladder out of distance, and they could not slide down after him.</p><p>"Damn you! Get back here you cowards!" Yang announced loudly.</p><p>Ruby made eye contact with Jaune as he looked back in fear. She could feel her stomach boiling and for some reason her mouth water? In any case, she was going to make sure he didn't get away. He was going to pay.</p><p>"Uhh..." A voice announced from behind the group of girls.</p><p>They looked back to see Ren standing at the entrance to the room with a plate full of pancakes in hand. They made eye contact for a few seconds and he stood completely still, growing paler by the second. Time stood still for all parties as he gulped.</p><p>"P-Pancake?" He asked, offering the plate.</p><p>"Get him." Yang replied.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Running Scared</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 7 – Running Scared</p><p>"Damn you! Get back here you cowards!" Yang announced loudly.</p><p>Jaune looked over his shoulder at the horde of angry females as he kept at a steady pace behind Neptune and Sun. Yang's voice carried throughout the courtyard. His last act of knocking the ladder away had bought them some extra time in their escape, but how much?</p><p>How did this happen? He thought to himself.</p><p>After all their careful preparation and coordination, it almost seemed like it couldn't fail. What was that drink? How could something like that even be sold? It didn't matter right now. The only thing that was important was getting some distance.</p><p>Jaune continued his glance back at the window when his eyes met Ruby's. He had kept a continuous stare on him, but she was licking her lips? And was that a grin on her face at this point? Jaune's thoughts raced as he tried to process the information. In any case, she had a plan and he didn't like it.</p><p>"We'll make our way around the other side of the dorms and head for the front gate!" Neptune announced at the front of the pack.</p><p>"Oh man! We are so screwed!" Sun commented while scratching at his head in pure frustration.</p><p>"Don't think like that now! We must concentrate on escape. Once we clear the grounds, we'll be in the clear." Neptune replied, keeping at a steady pace.</p><p>The boys had gained decent separation at this point. They were far enough to no longer hear the screams of any violent women behind them. In fact, they hadn't heard anything for a few seconds now. Jaune took this time to give one last glance over his shoulder at the window to see that no one was there.</p><p>What's going on? He thought to himself, turning the corner of the dormitories behind the other two.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ren struggled to break free. The whole thing happened in an instant. One second, he was about to be the hero of the night and bring his fellow companions some delicious pancakes. Boy, were they going to be proud! The next thing he knew, he was being swarmed by a bunch of demons. And now? He was in the lion's den with escape not even contemplatable.</p><p>"All right, Ren." Weiss commented, standing in front of him with a scowl present on her face. "What is all this?"</p><p>Weiss motioned to the cords that lay hanging from the television and the camera-car in her hand. She demanded an explanation for what was going on. The other females were scattered around the room. They kept quiet but had a similar look on their faces as Weiss. Cold. Angry. Hungry? Yeah, that sounded like Nora.</p><p>She was currently feasting away at the plate of pancakes that Ren had so diligently made for himself and the others. Once again, she had robbed him of their buttery goodness and delicious filling. Unfortunately, he was in no position to make an argument against it and he knew that.</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about. I was making myself dinner and you attacked me." He tried.</p><p>"Right." Nora commented between bites. "You just so happened to walk back this way to a room we just found the others running from after finding that thing in RWBY's room." She finished, pointing at the camera-car.</p><p>"Just fess up or it'll get a lot worse." Yang replied, not giving him a chance to talk.</p><p>Ren knew his situation was grim. Speaking of which, he'd much rather be taking on a horde of Grimm than dealing with this potential massacre. What's worse? He found himself bound to a chair in the middle of his own room. He struggled greatly against the rope binding that they had used to secure both his hands behind the chair and then his feet to each leg of the chair.</p><p>Why was Yang so good at this? He thought to himself in between their questioning.</p><p>He cleared his throat again, attempting to keep the calm demeanor he was known for.</p><p>"Ladies, please..."</p><p>"Oh, now we're ladies?" Nora commented, shoving another bite of pancake into her mouth. "Look at you trying to be redeemable after your rude comments earlier and pulling a trick like this."</p><p>"Look. It wasn't my idea." He answered.</p><p>"But you were involved. Guilty by association I'd say." Weiss finished.</p><p>"I wasn't even here to see that much! I went to make dinner after a while." Ren stated, becoming more worried.</p><p>"So, this thing is a camera?" Ruby replied to his statement.</p><p>Ren's eyes went wide in desperation. Not that they probably didn't already figure that out, but he was giving away what he had pledged to secrecy about. Bad mouth. He thought.</p><p>"So, you were recording us?" Yang asked.</p><p>Her voice was full of anger as she smacked the bureau behind her, causing a loud noise that made Ren cringe in fear. He knew full well what she was capable of. He had seen from previous battles and in sparring that she was a monster when angered. He tried desperately to undue his bindings with no result.</p><p>"The guilt is written all over your face. Of all the men here, I would have never suspected you of something so indecent." Yang continued.</p><p>Ren held his head in shame, stopping his attempts. They had a point. He was just as guilty as they were for participating in this. His sins had caught up to him and he was being punished for it.</p><p>Weiss walked over and knelt before him. She raised his head with her hand so their eyes could meet. A sense of understanding met his sad eyes.</p><p>"Look." She began. "You had a moment of weakness. You're only human."</p><p>Why was she being so nice to him? They had barely had any interaction before this night besides a few comments. But she was being kind to him now when he needed it most. Maybe she understood how he was feeling? Maybe she could ease the tension in the room.</p><p>"What's worse? They left you behind to save themselves. What friends do that?" She continued to speak to him.</p><p>She had a point. Neptune and Sun he could see running off into the night, but Jaune? They had left him to take on the full burden of what they had all done. Some friends they were. His sadness was slowly turning to anger as he continued to listen to her speak truthful words. The bonds Jaune and he had formed should have lasted a lifetime, but he had been betrayed in a cold way.</p><p>"I think it's time you tell us everything." Weiss finished.</p><p>She stood up in front of him as the other girls walked behind her and gathered to stand before him. Nora offered him a bite from the pancakes he had met. He took a bite from her hand. Were these his true friends? The shame he was feeling as great as ever. He finished chewing and looked up to meet their gaze, resilient as ever.</p><p>"Okay. I'll tell you everything."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune peeked his head around the corner of one of the buildings. He scanned the area for any activity but saw nothing.</p><p>Damn it. He thought. That camera cost me a fortune. There's no way they're going to give it back after that.</p><p>He looked behind him to see and out-of-breath Jaune sitting down against the wall of the building and Sun watching from behind to see if they were being followed. He found himself in quite the mess, but he was determined to get out of here alive. His thoughts fell onto Ren who had walked out earlier. He could only hope he had somehow found himself out of the way of what was now after them and was safe. Not likely.</p><p>"Okay." He stated. "We make it through the front courtyard and out the gates. Once we get there, we just need to head directly into the city and reconvene at my apartment."</p><p>Jaune caught his breath and looked up at Neptune. "You son of a bitch." He managed while standing up. "You did this to us."</p><p>"Excuse me?" Neptune asked, cocking an eyebrow.</p><p>Jaune walked over and grabbed him by the collar and stared him in the face. "I said you did this to us."</p><p>Neptune smacked his hand away and began fixing his clothing. "Get a grip, man. We're all to blame. We took part in this. Your hands aren't any less dirty than mine."</p><p>"You say that, but I'm the one who's really going to get it! You get to go back to your school and finish graduation; meanwhile, I'll be in a wheelchair when I get my diploma!" Jaune yelled.</p><p>Sun stepped between the two boys and forced a separation. Jaune and Neptune kept concentration on each other as he made contact with them. He looked at both and gave a sigh.</p><p>"Enough, already." He commented. "We need to focus on the task at hand. We can come up with something to fix this issue later, but we need to be ALIVE to do that. Do you both understand?"</p><p>The two took a step back and took a deep breath. The tension was thick. So thick you could cut it with a knife, and understandably so. Neptune felt a kick to his pride more than anything. He thought this plan was unable to fail. As the "Intellectual" of the group, when he failed, it hurt more than anything. He had so many more plans for that camera-car that were now in jeopardy of failing due to what had happened.</p><p>How could he have known that this "Lightning in a Bottle" was going to malfunction his equipment once that thing (Nora) had ingested it like she had. He wondered if she was even human for that. Regardless, he was responsible for getting Sun and Jaune to his apartment, and he knew it.</p><p>"I understand." Neptune replied.</p><p>Jaune took a moment for himself. He knew that he was didn't have much choice besides run or surrender. Even if he surrendered, they had been drinking and that meant emotions were wilder. He could apologize now but they would probably break his legs anyway. So no, he wasn't going to do that. He would run. Run scared, yes. But, he would run. He had grown attached to his legs and would protect them.</p><p>His mind traveled to Ren like Neptune had earlier. Hoping escape was still in the cards for him and that he would know to retreat to Neptune's apartment as well. He knew the only thing he could do right now was survive. If a rescue mission was needed, he would do it once they formed a plan.</p><p>"I understand as well." Jaune finally responded.</p><p>Sun dropped his arms and rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't used to keeping the peace even as the leader of Team SSSN, but this was crucial.</p><p>"Good." Sun commented. "Then let's keep moving."</p><p>"Right." The other commented.</p><p>The three began making their way quietly around the side of the building, continuing their exit strategy. Unbeknownst to them were a pair of yellow eyes watching them from the window above. Cat ears twitched at the group moving away and a smile adorning her face.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The females in the room listened as the tale unfolded. Ren had spilled everything from Cardin's video, to Neptune recording them, to the plans they had all made. Their eyes were wide at surprise at the lengths they had gone to.</p><p>Ruby sat there with her eyes closed trying to analyze it all. She thought back to when Jaune had stopped by their room. It all made sense now. He was the plant. This was why he didn't care he forgot his measuring cup. And now... there was no cake to be had. That might have been the hardest truth she had to accept, tearful eyes and all. He had lied to her about cake and there was no crime more offensive that she could think of.</p><p>Her mind drifted back to their contact when he had fallen earlier. Was it a mistake? Or was it all part of this ingenious plan to plant the camera? It didn't matter. Ever since she had ingested this drink, her thoughts of Jaune were wilder than usual. Her mouth was watering, and her legs were twitching with excitement. Even when he was running away earlier and he gave her that look of fear, she felt like a predator. She wanted him to run. She wanted to chase her prey.</p><p>What would be his punishment? She could think of a few things. Some made her blush, but she felt confident, and ready to attack. She'd have her way by night's end.</p><p>"That's everything." Ren commented, finishing his story. "I-I'm sorry."</p><p>"You're sexy when you're scared." Nora commented.</p><p>"Wh-What?!" Ren replied.</p><p>Yang patted Nora on the head. "Relax, you." She commented. "Keep eating those pancakes and let us finish this up."</p><p>"I want to, but I don't have any syrup!" Nora complained.</p><p>Yang, Ruby and Weiss just smiled at her comment. Weiss continued to write down everything that had happened. She made notations and asked questions during the story just to be sure she had all the bases covered. She cleared her throat before continuing.</p><p>"Thank you, Ren. I'm glad to see that you are honestly sorry for what happened." She commented.</p><p>"Y-Yes, I do." He replied.</p><p>"Just one more question before this is over." Weiss commented.</p><p>"Whatever you need."</p><p>"Where is Neptune's apartment?" Ruby asked.</p><p>Ren looked up at them with pleading eyes. The whole situation seemed grim again. The girls looked at him with suspicious eyes. Something's not right here. He thought.</p><p>"I-I can't tell you that." He replied.</p><p>"Oh? Why not?" Weiss commented with a grin. Something was definitely not right here.</p><p>"Because that wouldn't be right. That's private information."</p><p>The girls in the room just looked at each other. The look seemed concerning to Ren as he sat there, appendages seemingly going numb at this point. He could feel a cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.</p><p>"But it's okay for you to record us? That's not invasive?" Nora commented with tone in her voice.</p><p>"I didn't say-"</p><p>"Then what are you saying, Renny?"</p><p>"That's not my name!"</p><p>"Answer the question!"</p><p>Ren and Nora locked in a gritty stare and battle of wits, something Ren thought he would never have to do. She kept her hands on her hips as she kept her eyes on him and he was not backing down, despite his position. He again began trying to loosen his restraints as everyone in the room only smiled.</p><p>"You're all planning something aren't you?" He commented. "I may be at fault for this as much as them, but I won't sell them out. Even I have to draw the line with this!"</p><p>Yang sighed at his comment. He just had to be too smart for his own good.</p><p>Suddenly, Ruby's scroll began to ring. The room went silent as she pulled it from her pocket and saw Blake's face and number on the screen. She answered it and brought the device to her ear.</p><p>"Hello? Yeah, we're still here. Oh? Ohhhh? Awesome. Good. Keep your eyes on them, we're on our way."</p><p>Ruby ended the call and began putting the phone away. She smiled an evil grin and licked her lips and began making her way to the bedroom door leading to the hallway. Once there, she opened the door all the way.</p><p>"We done here?" Yang asked.</p><p>Looking back at her sister, Ruby nodded with a smile. "She's following them now."</p><p>"Finally." Weiss commented, heading out behind her.</p><p>Ren only looked around in confusion before realizing what had been happening. They did a Good Cop/Bad Cop on him to get him to speak. They weren't planning on releasing him after he helped them out but were instead using him to get everything they needed. He felt like a fool, but he hadn't given them up completely. He could scold himself later, but they were still unaware of Neptune's apartment location.</p><p>"Oh, I almost forgot." Yang commented.</p><p>Ren only looked at her with confusion as she walked over to the side of Ren's bed and picked up a container. Not just any container. It was his syrup. But why did she want that? Better more, why was she walking towards him?</p><p>His eyes went wide as she walked over, devilish grin apparent on her face. He watched in horror as she dumped the container of syrup all over him, covering him in the delicious, sticky goodness.</p><p>"What the hell! Why?! What a waste!" Ren yelled, clearly distraught.</p><p>Ruby snapped a picture of him as she walked out the door with Weiss following closely behind. Yang was last to walk out, grabbing the knob. She looked back at him, still smiling while he continued to berate her from his sticky prison.</p><p>"Giving you your just desserts." She commented before closing the door slowly behind her and following her teammates.</p><p>Ren could feel they syrup in binding to his hair and dripping down onto his body as well as the rest of his clothing. Unfortunately, that wasn't the most the concerning thing currently. His eyes moved to the one other presence in the room, Nora. She was looking at him with a smile as well, drooling mostly.</p><p>She made a step towards him as his eyes grew with fear he had never felt before.</p><p>"There's the syrup." She commented, wiping her mouth slightly. "Don't worry, Renny. I'll handle that for you. You delicious, snack."</p><p>Step.</p><p>"Wait. Wait, Nora!" He commented.</p><p>Step.</p><p>She ignored his cries. Much to his dismay, she began to unbutton her shirt as she took another step towards him. He tried desperately to wiggle out of his bindings, hoping the syrup would provide some sort of lubricant to assist with it.</p><p>Step.</p><p>"I told you I'd take you down a peg later." She commented. 'Where's that bravado now?"</p><p>Step.</p><p>"L-Look, I'm sorry. Truly I am. But you don't want to do this!" He cried.</p><p>She dropped her shirt to the ground, breathing heavily. She was now standing in front of his scared figure. Slowly, she reached into his pocket and pulled out his double-sided coin that he had conned Jaune with many times, showing it to him, much to his confusion.</p><p>"Want to flip for it? I call heads."</p><p>"W-Wait!"</p><p>But she would not listen, tackling him. There would be no escape.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ren's screams were heard through the door as Team RWBY smiled.</p><p>"They're heading towards the front gate Blake said." Ruby mentioned.</p><p>"Got it." Weiss responded. "Let's head out."</p><p>"You two go ahead of me. I'm going to check on Pyrrha." Yang replied.</p><p>The other two made their way down the hall. First, they would need their weapons out of storage and then, it would be time for the counterattack.</p><p>Yang opened the door to her room after watching them lave. She peaked into the room and to her surprise found that Pyrrha was not on the bed where she was last. In fact, after scanning the room all over, she was nowhere at all to be found.</p><p>Yang stood there for a few moments as a cold sweat of her own dripped down the back of her neck.</p><p>Well, that's not good. She thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Operation: RWBY Attacks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 8 – Operation: RWBY Attacks</p><p>Well, that's not good. Yang thought to herself.</p><p>She scanned the room over and over again looking for her red-headed friend only to be disappointed. Somehow, amongst all the commotion that had been going on, Pyrrha made her way out of the room and disappeared without anyone being any the wiser.</p><p>Yang was usually one to encourage people to let loose, but this could be a bad thing. A VERY bad thing. She walked around the room to see if there were any clues that could lead her to finding where Pyrrha may have disappeared to. She searched the closets, under the bed, and even under her desk, but there was nothing.</p><p>Yang sighed as she sat down at the desk, annoyed at the situation. She was going to miss out on the thrashing of a lifetime because SOMEONE had a little too much to drink. She knew she shouldn't think like this. After all, it was her and the others that convinced Pyrrha to go alone with them. She sighed again, looking out the bedroom window on the far end of the room between the bunks.</p><p>That's when she noticed something. Something important. Rather, she noticed something was missing.</p><p>"Where's the 'Lightning in a Bottle?'" She stated to herself, eyes wide in distress.</p><p>She rushed over to the bunks and began frantically searching. She threw blankets, pillows, sheets, some creepy ass doll she found under the bed, etc. There was nothing. There had to be only one conclusion. Wherever Pyrrha was, she had that bottle with her, and THAT was very bad.</p><p>"You drunk bitch." She murmured.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Yang banged on the door to Team JNPR's room after her discovery. If anyone had any idea where Pyrrha might have run off to, it would be her partners.</p><p>An out-of-breath Nora answered the door after being startled by the loud noise on the door. She was pre-disposed at the time the noise came across and had to muffle the screams of a "certain someone", in case they tried to call for help, not that there would be anyone on campus except JNPR and RWBY currently.</p><p>"Ya-Yang, what's wrong?" Nora asked, keeping the door only slightly ajar. Nora had no time to retrieve her missing clothing and decided to peek her head out from behind the door.</p><p>"MMMMPHFRF" A noise behind her came.</p><p>"Quiet, you!" Nora turned back, shouting behind her at the noise.</p><p>"Nora, if Pyrrha were to wonder off where do you think she would go?" Yang asked bluntly.</p><p>Nora's eyes opened in surprise. She thought Pyrrha was down and out for the night, possibly the entire weekend. How did she even get out of the room without anyone noticing?</p><p>"Uhhh, the training grounds, maybe? Wait! She's probably hungry. Let's head to the cafeteria!" Nora replied, seemingly distraught.</p><p>Ren heard this and felt a wave of relief come over him. His nightmare was over. He knew it came off as wrong in his head but the best possible best thing that could have happened right now was his teammate going missing. He relaxed in his restraints.</p><p>"It's okay, Nora. She couldn't have gotten far. Leave this to me and I'll leave that traitor up to you." Yang replied in a hurry, already making her way down the hall. She waved to her friend as she disappeared into the distance.</p><p>"Wait! I can help!" Ren yelled, finally able to speak again.</p><p>"Renny..." She spoke as she had yet to turn around and face him. "Who said you could take your gag out?"</p><p>She turned to him with a mischievous smile. She began her slow walk over, making sure he could take in the whole sight of her. He pulled at his restraints as best he could, knowing it was all but hopeless.</p><p>"I... I wanted to help." He tried.</p><p>Her steps came to an end as she sat on the edge of his bed, placing a hand on his bound leg and rubbing it slowly.</p><p>"Oh? Don't worry then. You're about to help me plenty." She stated as she looked him in the eyes, licking her lips.</p><p>What would Jaune say at a time like this? He thought. Oh yeah...</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo The tale of Ren has ended. OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"We made it, boys." Sun commented.</p><p>The group had successfully navigated their way from the student dormitory area and into the home stretch of Beacon Academy's front gates. It wasn't an incredibly far distance, but when you're sneaking and trying to avoid detection, it isn't exactly quick. In any case, retreat was their best option, at least for now anyway.</p><p>Jaune took one more look over his shoulder as the three boys walked quietly, one behind the other, towards the front gate. Nothing. A sense of relief ran over him and he relaxed his shoulders. The night hadn't worked out how they wanted, but at least he could get away long enough for calmer heads to prevail, or at least, that's what he had hoped.</p><p>Neptune kept his mouth shut and eyes peeled. His plans had already failed once, and he was still on edge. He gripped his backpack straps tightly and always kept the entrance gates in his view. He noticed the night was finally getting darker. It was quiet. Too quiet.</p><p>Something isn't right. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that whatever was going on, they were not alone.</p><p>Neptune stopped in his tracks about 100 feet from the entrance to Beacon Academy. This caused both boys behind him to stop and give him a confused look.</p><p>"Jaune." Neptune stated. "Call for your weapon."</p><p>Neptune dropped to one knee and whipped his backpack around in front of him, unzipping the top of it and examining the contents.</p><p>"Why?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Neptune continued to dig through until he found what he was looking for.</p><p>"We're not alone." He replied.</p><p>Sun and Jaune knew what this meant immediately. Jaune slowly reached for his scroll within his pocket.</p><p>"So, you finally noticed?" A voice called.</p><p>Following the direction the voice came from, Sun and Jaune laid their eyes on the entrance of the school gates again. They knew that voice. It was slightly dark beyond the gates. In fact, it was pitch black on the other side. Easy enough for someone to hide in and keep eyes on them.</p><p>From a distance, they noticed two yellow eyes gazing back at them at first. Shortly after, footsteps were heard as the person came into view. Now, blocking their exit, was Blake Belladonna, the Faunus member of Team RWBY.</p><p>She smirked at them as she held one hand on her hip and the other on Gamboul Shroud. She had come for a fight.</p><p>Jaune kept a calm demeanor as he punched his locker code into his scroll. He knew he was only to use this in emergency situations, but this was one of those times. Shortly after, the delivery system sent his locker to his exact location containing Crocea Mors. He opened the locker and took his sword and shield in both hands.</p><p>"Oh, you're actually going to fight me? Isn't that cute." Blake continued, still smirking.</p><p>"Heh." Neptune laughed. "We can't afford you slowing us down now."</p><p>Neptune took hold of Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang that he had stored away for safe keeping. He looked to Sun and tossed it to him. Sun caught it in his right hand and smiled. Always prepared. He thought.</p><p>Neptune reached back into his bag and smiled as well when he pulled out his newly modified Tri-Hard. He shot Blake one last cocky look before standing back up on both legs.</p><p>Her face turned serious after seeing the boys with their weapons in hand. She didn't like his attitude and she was going to adjust it.</p><p>"What's wrong, kitty?" Sun mocked. "Did you think we would come without being ready to defend ourselves?"</p><p>You did forget, you dumbass. I brought them. Neptune thought.</p><p>"Kitty?" She replied. "Monkey boy, you are asking for it. After the stunt you all pulled, I'd think you would just cooperate and take your punishment like men."</p><p>Neptune flipped his hair and aimed his weapon at her.</p><p>"Sorry, but I'd much rather just go home and call it a night." He answered.</p><p>She stared at Neptune, then Sun, and then finally, Jaune. Ranged, Mid-ranged, close quarters. She hated to admit it, but they had all the bases covered. They were going to overpower her if she didn't think quickly.</p><p>"Blake, we don't want to do this, but we will defend ourselves." Jaune stated, walking ahead of the other two. "Let us pass and we won't be any more trouble."</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're joking, right?" She answered quickly.</p><p>"Unfortunately, I'm not." He raised his sword and shield. "Last chance."</p><p>She sighed and ready herself in a battle stance. "You're all going to regret this." She commented.</p><p>Neptune jumped back behind the other two and looked through his scope. Jaune took the front of the formation and Sun activated his semblance, creating copies of himself in the middle. An actual formation? She thought.</p><p>"Being alone is good for sneaking, but not so much for fighting." Sun commented.</p><p>She smirked at the comment and raised Gamboul Shroud. "Too bad I'm not alone."</p><p>At the last second, Jaune turned around and parried two shots being fired at him from behind, followed by a clash with Crescent Rose. Ruby stared him down with a smile as he continued to hold his stance. She dropped to her feet and continued to apply pressure with her scythe, backing him up.</p><p>Simultaneously, Weiss dashed in while the others were distracted made a play for Sun. He noticed last second and had his copies take the brunt of the damage, shielding him. He swung back at her with his staff as Neptune offered covering fire.</p><p>Weiss deflected the shots one after another as she backed away from Sun's attack. She effortlessly kept her concentration on him as he fired on her. Sun charged her quickly, swinging his staff, but she used the opportunity to use his body as a shield, knowing Neptune would not fire. He swung wildly, causing her to back step many times.</p><p>As he swung, felt his staff restricted. He looked above his head to see it caught by the end of a whip. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Blake once again smiling at him. She was holding a tight grip on Gamboul Shroud, keeping his staff from attacking her teammate.</p><p>"This ought to even the odds a little, huh Monkey Boy?" She questioned.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Across the courtyard, Ruby and Jaune were engaged in a battle of wills.</p><p>She's so tiny. How does she push me back with such power? He thought.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and smirked at him. He narrowed his back and kept a serious face on. He knew his survival depended on this fight. He was not going to back down.</p><p>They kept at the shoving contest, neither willing to bend. She'd force him back and then he would overpower her and push back. Jaune's sword was wielded in his right hand and the sword in his left, both acting as a wall against the might of Crescent Rose's overwhelming size.</p><p>Concentrating on his legs, he began to move her backwards slowly. She looked backwards as she was losing the ground battle of strength. Looking back at Jaune, she could see he was now smirking. The nerve of him. She thought. She forced herself closer to Crescent Rose, using her weight on the weapon to add more to her stance, slowing him slightly.</p><p>He caught on to her attempts to slow his push and attempted the same thing. Using his mass as additional force, he again began to move her more and more backwards. He leant in as far as he could, just as she had. He could feel her breath on his face, and his on hers. He continued to smile though. He had the upper hand. He was bigger, he was stronger, and he-</p><p>Lick.</p><p>"WH-WHAT?!" Jaune yelled.</p><p>Jaune dropped his guard and stumbled backwards as Ruby pushed him. He staggered backwards and landed on his behind. Dropping his shield, he rubbed his face vigorously, still in disbelief of what had just transpired. He looked up to see a giggling Ruby who was unfazed by what she just did.</p><p>"Y-You-u j-j-just" He tried.</p><p>"Just what?" She asked, feigning ignorance.</p><p>"YOU LICKED ME!" Jaune yelled, pointing a blameful finger in her direction.</p><p>"Did I?"</p><p>"Yes! You did!"</p><p>"Why are you so upset, Jaune? Was it too much?" She asked, giggling once more.</p><p>"It's fighting dirty!"</p><p>"I guess I'm a dirty fighter." Ruby replied, shrugging her shoulders and raising her arms and hands in the air. "After all, nothing wrong with being a little dirty..."</p><p>She took a step forward, licking her lips. Her prey was paralyzed with fear and n where to run. Jaune shook himself from his state and moved himself back to his feet. Being a 'no range' type fighter, he had no choice but to engage up close, which would give her an advantage if she was playing like that. He readied himself again as she came in close and swung with her scythe. He blocked it with his shield and swung back with his sword only to miss as she jumped back.</p><p>If he was going to win this, he had to not let her get in his head. For some reason, it was like he was fighting her for the first time. She had a new way about her. I mean, she licked him! In what class did she learn that? They slept through most of their classes. Jaune was good with forming a plan on the spot, but then again, Ruby was better as much as he was afraid to admit it.</p><p>She engaged again with Crescent Rose as he jumped back this time. She swung haphazardly with a smile on her face, as if this was play time. He realized then and there what was going on.</p><p>She's still drunk.</p><p>This was not good. She was going to be unpredictable. That "Lightning in a Bottle" was still in her system and she was fighting him with it. Was that why she licked him? Because she's drunk? In any case, this could work out as well. He knew that from being drunk, her reactions and movements were slower than usual. And even though she was still moving well, he could see her attacks were a little more unbalanced.</p><p>They clashed again. This time, he kept his face back as they pushed against each other.</p><p>"Has anyone ever told you that you taste good?" She mentioned.</p><p>As much as Jaune was trying to keep his cool, he was still embarrassed by her words, losing the battle o the minds again.</p><p>"You're insane!" He cried. "You won't make me lose my cool. You don't scare me!" Jaune exclaimed with a voice full of confidence.</p><p>She pouted slightly at his reply. Who does he think he is? She thought.</p><p>"And I don't mean Nora crazy. She wouldn't even do that."</p><p>She smiled at this, resisting the urge to laugh. If only you knew what Nora was doing. Her mind traveled to it while they stood there in limbo with their fight. What if Jaune and I did too... Jaune noticed her face getting red. Was she mad at him for not giving in? Maybe he had finally won in the battle of wills?</p><p>Using this moment to his advantage, he pushed her back from his shield causing her to stagger backwards. Seeing his opening, he bull-rushed her with his shield, knocking her onto her behind. She fell back and Crescent Rose was knocked away from her hands. A loud "thud" was heard by everyone as she slammed to the ground.</p><p>"Holy crap, I did it."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Sun's astral clones and Blake's Shadow clones exchanged blows. While hers were created from side-stepping the attacks he was bringing to her, he was stuck sitting on the ground almost meditating. She could be mobile and agile while he was a sitting duck... Err... Monkey? The thing was, she was not attempting to use her clones. Here he was bringing the fight to her and she was jumping around when she could possibly be gaining ground.</p><p>He knew he was at a disadvantage if she got close, and using his semblance drained his aura. Similarly to Jaune, if he wanted to win this battle, he'd have to do it fast. He recalled his clones and stood up, not wanting to drain his power too much. Blake stayed at a distance, catching her breath. Sun looked over at Neptune who was having a ranged battle with the Schnee heiress and then over at Jaune who just got licked? What the hell?</p><p>Sun reached down and picked up his staff before looking back at Blake. He grew tired of this back and forth. There was something he analyzed though. Blake is usually an aggressive combatant, but she was not coming at him. She was waiting for him to use up his aura, but why? It took him a few moments, but he believed he may have got the answer.</p><p>"What's all this fighting for?" He asked.</p><p>"Excuse me?" She replied.</p><p>"Normally, I'd like to spar with anyone, especially Team RWBY, but this just seems like a little much don't you think?"</p><p>She dropped her guard and stood up, keeping a questioning eye on her opponent.</p><p>"So, we hid a camera in the room in the room to watch you all get drunk, is it really that big a deal? Is there no other way to get past this then fight?" He continued. "After all, it's not like we put it in your bathroom or something."</p><p>"Are you really trying to justify your actions?" Blake asked, anger slowly building up. "If you want to get past this, lay down your weapons and..."</p><p>"And what?" He asked. "I can apologize, but if it's just going to be you hurting me anyway, then I'm sorry to say, I won't be backing down."</p><p>"Oh, you think this is your punishment?" She snorted a laugh. "Oh no, it'll be much worse."</p><p>"You aren't helping your case."</p><p>"So, what do you want then?" She asked. "You think an 'I'm sorry' will get you a free pass?"</p><p>He laughed at her attempt at sarcasm. "I guess we're really going to have to fight this out. I didn't want to have to do this, but..."</p><p>He whistled for the attention of his teammates, which inadvertently garnered the attention of them and the other combatants. Blake looked at him again with a confused stare. What is he...</p><p>"Hey guys." He started. "I think the alcohol is keeping them from using their semblance effectively."</p><p>The eyes of all three girls went wide as Sun smiled at Blake.</p><p>Weiss gave a defiant stare at Neptune who threw his gun over his shoulder and smiled at her.</p><p>"Good job, Sun." He spoke back to his partner. "This is going to be interesting."</p><p>Jaune stared at Ruby who was back to her feet with Crescent Rose and a look of determination in her own eyes. For once, he KNEW he had the upper hand. This is why she was trying to psych him out. He raised his weapons again and smiled in Ruby's direction. His usual 'fuck' was now a...</p><p>"Fuck yeah."</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Battle of the Sexes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 9 – Battle of the Sexes</p><p>A cold sweat dripped down Weiss's neck. She stared at her three, smirking opponents. They had been exposed by that Monkey boy that was thought to be of little consequence. How did they figure it out so quickly? She thought.</p><p>She made her way over to Blake, as did Ruby. They were going to have to be a little more serious when it comes to this fight. They couldn't risk losing here and being shamed by the idiots who were now attempting to escape. She thought her surprise attack on Jaune, and Sun would be enough to end this battle before it began, but it was not to be. Unfortunately, they had all become better fighters and could sense the intent from their opponents.</p><p>They regrouped in the center of the courtyard standing side by side. The boys made their way together as well. It felt like a mid-western showdown between cops and robbers. There was silence. You could hear the nighttime breeze and the trees ruffling in the background. Leaves fell onto the now battleground, signifying a change in the seasons.</p><p>Neptune made his way to the front of his pack, weapon still slung over his right shoulder. He gave the signal for Jaune and Sun to stand down as he stopped a few feet short of the group of women. They eyed him up as he cleared his throat.</p><p>"Ok, ladies." He began. "We know that you're angry and rightfully so. We need to grow past this though. We can all be adults."</p><p>"You attached a camera to a toy and spied on us. How is that for being an adult?" Weiss replied. 'We could have been changing, or exchanging secrets, or who knows what."</p><p>She walked to meet Neptune between the two groups, footsteps determined and loud. She came within reach of him, causing him to reach for his weapon. Getting in his face, she pointed at him and squinted her eyes, almost like a glare of death.</p><p>"What you did is inexcusable and childlike. Furthermore-"</p><p>"Just guys being dudes."</p><p>"What does THAT even mean?"</p><p>"It means you had your fun and we had ours. How do you think we felt being excluded? Maybe we all could have had a good time?" Neptune continued.</p><p>"Girls need time to themselves. We need to talk about things." Weiss tried explaining.</p><p>"Like pouncing?" Jaune asked, sticking his head out from behind Neptune's figure.</p><p>"What?" Weiss replied.</p><p>The others all shot him a confused look at the statement he made. Jaune thought back to the moment when they first caught audio on the camera and remembered the conversation.</p><p>"Y-You know... There was some strategy you were all putting together to fight us. I remember hearing it. Don't either of you?"</p><p>Neptune looked over at Sun who shook his head. They hadn't recalled anything of that stature.</p><p>"That's why they're mad. They're mad we go the drop on them first. Sorry Rubes, but you won't be pouncing this guy!" He announced proudly.</p><p>Ruby sat their confused for a moment and then recalled the conversation she had with Nora and her sister.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Flashback</p><p>"You just need to be more aggressive!" A voice over the speaker came through.</p><p>"Aggressive?" Ruby questioned.</p><p>"Yep. Jaune is soft on you, Ruby. Back him into a corner... and pounce!"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby's face was red. So red. In fact, the amount of heat being generated off of her face right now was so strong, smoke could be seen coming from her ears. She covered her face in embarrassment as she struggled to not deal with the eyes that were on her.</p><p>He... He heard that. She thought.</p><p>Jaune examined her as she glowed a dark shade of red. He had caught her. That looked just like any other guilty person who had been caught in the act. He gave a cocky smirk at her as she stared at him, still distraught.</p><p>"Looks like I win. I caught you all."</p><p>Weiss facepalmed in annoyance as Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ruby began regaining her composure and went from being red... to seeing red. She was going to make him pay.</p><p>She had been afraid of embarrassing herself like this. She thought that only he should feel that way, and now she was about to crank it up to 12 on a scale of 1-10. But first, she was going to make him pay.</p><p>As quick as her legs would take her, she made a dash for Jaune in a blind rage. He narrowly dodged her attack as Crescent came crashing down into the cobblestone pavement of the courtyard. He nearly fell over in fright as she retrieved her scythe and aimed it at him again with blood-red eyes.</p><p>"You're dead." She growled.</p><p>Weiss took the opportunity to swipe and nick Neptune with her blade as he stood before her distracted. He attempted to didge a kick of hers, but was unsuccessful, being sent a few yards back to his knees, landing behind Sun.</p><p>He stood back up and spit at the ground next to him.</p><p>"Just remember, we offered you the easy way out." He remarked.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune activated his semblance to make sure any incoming attacks would be mostly nullified and what did hurt, was quickly healed by his aura. Ruby dashed at him again, swinging her scythe in a rage. She had to calm herself down, but she just wanted to hit him!</p><p>He evaded her attacks with ease, the alcohol still playing a minor role in that. He parried attack after attack before deciding to go on the offense after she had tired herself out slightly. Once he heard her attempt to catch her breath, he pushed forward with his shield in an attempt to do as little harm while creating distance. As he approached, Ruby jumped into the air and kicked off his shield into a backflip landing on her feet. The result staggered Jaune backwards, long enough for Ruby to make a break for him again. She swung high this time and Jaune being off-balance, took the hit to his side, forcing him to roll as he collided with the ground.</p><p>He activated his semblance and smiled at her in a mocking fashion. He stood up and brushed himself off, seeing her attack as no consequence. Her movements were getting a little quicker, but nothing he couldn't handle right now. He ran towards her as their weapons clashed constantly, metal scraping on metal.</p><p>Ruby retreated slowly as he forced his blade at her. His strokes with his sword were precise and attempting to keep her defensive. Jaune knew a Ruby that could not attack was his best option. His best bet would be to disarm her with her weak hand-to-hand combat.</p><p>Ruby back-stepped another swing as she found herself further and further from Blake and Weiss. He wants to separate and isolate us. She thought. He knew just as well as his other teammates that RWBY had great teamwork. From the time they were formed and even before then they would outshine any other unit. It was smart on his end. He was always thinking, and he knew her well enough to use any advantage he could.</p><p>She smiled to herself. Her semi-drunk mind was still processing her feelings but even things like this were making her heart flutter. She would have time for these thoughts later though. For now, it was time to kick some ass.</p><p>She ducked under a high swing from Jaune's sword and used Crescent Rose's ammo to shoot herself into the air and land partially on a ledge from a school window. She took aim and fired shots at him as he ran to duck behind the courtyard statues. Jaune prayed Ozpin didn't see the actual battles taking place and all the destruction they were causing, or they'd never hear the end of it.</p><p>Ruby continued to fire on Jaune's location, essentially pinning him behind whatever statues he could. She reloaded a clip and continued firing.</p><p>"I can keep at this all night, Jaune!" She shouted from her ledge. "If you want to surrender, I promise it won't be all bad."</p><p>She stared at the disfigured battleground waiting for a response. She was surprised to see a hand pop up with an erect middle finger. Jaune waved his arm back and forth, making sure she saw his response clearly.</p><p>Ruby's eye twitched in annoyance at his resistance. Cocking the gun again she began firing shot after shot, forcing his arm back into retreat. He listened closely as she fired and then as she would drop a magazine. He listened one last time as she fired a few shots.</p><p>"Seven. Eight. Nine." He counted quietly.</p><p>After her ninth shot, he rolled from his cover as he saw the tenth shot wiz by his right arm and took off in her direction. He sprinted quickly until he was nearly under the the second story ledge she was firing from. He began platforming the building to try and shorten the distance as she fumbled over another magazine to reload.</p><p>He was counting my shots. She thought. She watched as he climbed towards her. He had tossed his shield over his shoulder but kept his sword in his hand as he made his ascent. She knew if she fired down, she would have a close shot, but missing from this range would be costly. She took aim as he climbed the windowsill below her and fired. Jaune narrowly dodged and took cover directly below her position.</p><p>Based on where he was, she had no shot. Hiding directly under her was the only way Jaune could take her sniping out of the contest. She converted Crescent Rose back into a close quarters weapon. She dropped down to the ledge below and tried a kick only to see the window was opened and no one was there. Jaune had escaped inside the school building.</p><p>"No matter how far you run, I will catch you." She stated, making off into the building after him.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Across the courtyard was a similar situation. Neptune was keeping his distance as Weiss struggled to summon her glyphs. He kept her moving as he fired endless shots from his Tri-Hard rifle. Keeping her sword away from his pretty face was a top priority. Without her semblance, this was proving to be an easy feat. He would wait until she tired herself out from the running before he made his attempt at ending this battle. He was enjoying overpowering her currently.</p><p>Weiss huffed as she took cover behind a tree. She knew it was only temporary, but his attacks were consistent and precise. He wanted her there at that moment, and she knew it. She stuck her sword out from her position and angled it slightly. Using the reflection, she looked out to see where he was at now. He was 30... No 40 yards away. Even from that range his shots were nearly accurate. She knew if she didn't think of a plan, she wasn't going to last.</p><p>She looked over to where the battle began and saw Blake exchanging hand-to-hand blows with Sun. She had gotten better with it learning from both Yang and Pyrrha. She was proud of her teammate's growth. On the other side of the courtyard, she saw Ruby enter the school building after Jaune had fled. Separating them was smart and they knew that as well.</p><p>Weiss was shaken from her thoughts as one of Neptune's shots ricocheted off her sword, causing a painful, trembling sensation in her arm as she dropped her blade. She shook her arm in frustration and discomfort as she brought her attention back to her conflict. She reached for her blade on the ground only for three more shots to disrupt the attempt.</p><p>"Now, now. We don't need you hanging onto that." Neptune commented, as he stopped looking down his scope and slowly walking towards his opponent.</p><p>She looked back at him in annoyance as he approached slowly. Her sword was only feet away, but he was a good shot. His footsteps stopped after a while as she peeked her head out again. His range had been cut by half, but he was not making the attempt to come any closer, opting to keep his eyes on her from a safe distance.</p><p>"What? Did you think I was going to come right up to you? Sorry babe, but I like to keep things in my favor."</p><p>Babe? She thought. She rolled her eyes at his comments.</p><p>"Is that why you like to spy on girls from a camera?" She spat.</p><p>"If it helps, you all weren't that interesting." He replied, firing more shots and pinning her further to her spot.</p><p>"I'm sure you wanted something out of all this."</p><p>"I admire pretty things, Weiss. My undying love for you may have been a factor."</p><p>"Hah, that's a laugh." She yelled. "You're undying love for anything in a skirt is a factor on why it wouldn't work."</p><p>Neptune took offense to the comment. The Schnee heiress was going to lecture him? Yeah, not today. He kept his gun drawn as he approached in silent anger.</p><p>"I bet you have dated half my school already. You're just another guy being a closet pervert."</p><p>"Pervert?!" He yelled. "Who the hell are you to decide what I am?" He dropped his attention and focus through the scope of his gun. He was going to let her have it. "I tried to impress you in different ways, but you and your pride kept us from being something real. Just Weiss being Weiss, I guess."</p><p>Her plan to fluster him had worked. As she saw his cool demeanor drop from his face, she took the opportunity to roll out and take her rapier in hand. He regained his composure in time to see her make a break for him. He had advanced into an unsafe proximity of Weiss during their spat. He raised his gun again and fired at her.</p><p>Weiss attempted to use her glyphs to shorten the distance between them even more. She jumped forward but was only able to summon one of them and used it to move behind another bundle of trees and bushes, narrowly dodging a shot in the process.</p><p>"Damn it, just one?" She stated. She had great control over her semblance but was only able to use her "glyph slide" one time and barely made up ground. She was certain her control was coming back, but it was a matter of how soon?</p><p>Neptune used this time to take a breath and begin backing up. His smile returned and he wiped the small droplets of sweat on his forehead as he lifted his gun to eye-level again.</p><p>"Nice try, Weiss." Neptune commented. "You surprised me there, but this won't end how you want it to."</p><p>"What can I say? I'm full of surprises. You'll find that out soon enough again."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Kick, punch, and counter for counter. Blake and Sun were stuck in a stalemate of blows. Since the fight broke out, she had made it her goal to make him her opponent. His "kitty" remarks earlier had skyrocketed him to the top of her shit list. She knew he was decent at martial arts and with what she had learned in her short time under her friends, she was going to see just how good.</p><p>She deflected another kick from Sun as she forced his leg back with her own. His strikes were accurate and had some power behind them. She knew she would be feeling this in the morning. Sun's frustration with being unable to land a solid blow was getting the best of him. That, in combination with using his semblance a bit earlier, was beginning to wan on him.</p><p>"You've... gotten really good at this." He spoke between breaths.</p><p>"I bet you're regretting your smartass comments now, huh?" She asked, parrying another blow.</p><p>"No way. If you're going to do or say something, commit to it. I don't regret anything tonight." He replied, ducking a kick to his head and sliding backwards.</p><p>"So, you admit what you did was wrong?" She asked.</p><p>Sun stood up and began stretching out as he caught his breath. The sweat was visible on his head after a prolonged hand-to-hand fight with Blake who was better for wear than he was.</p><p>"Sure do. Don't care either." He spoke nonchalantly. "It was funny, and I enjoyed it."</p><p>Blake raised an eyebrow and dropped her guard slightly at his response. "At least you admit it. Even though you're just as dumb for arrogantly admitting it."</p><p>"You act like there was anything to see besides 6 teenage girls drinking. Sure, we were hoping for something a little more interesting, but there was nothing to see or hear except Ruby playing with your kitty ears."</p><p>Blake narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth at Sun's remarks. Was he trying to make her make a mistake while fighting? Did he think this would psyche her out? She removed Gambol Shroud from the belt of her pants and stared him down. He Sighed and removed his staff from his back.</p><p>"What would have been so interesting?" She asked.</p><p>"Wouldn't you like to know?" He answered. "Also, how sensitive are those ears? Just curious."</p><p>"Why don't you come here, and I'll let you give them a touch?"</p><p>He laughed at her poor attempt to draw him in. Anger begets desperation he thought, but he would indulge her. He leaped at her bringing his staff down as she used her weapon to block his attempt to overpower her. The force he used was powerful, forcing her knees to buckle as he continued to apply more pressure. Blake dropped to one knee and her arms began to shake. Damn meathead. She thought.</p><p>She used the leg that had buckled and attempted to sweep Sun's legs and he slid to the ground. He was surprised by her flexibility and ability to knock him to the ground. She attempted a downward swipe as her weapon shifted into a katana. He rolled out of the way and kept rolling as she attempted over and over to slash at him.</p><p>Sun kept mobile, all the whole, attempting to get to his feet again. Once she stopped, he got to his knees and attempted to get up and counterattack only to be caught by the chain part of her weapon, holding him in place. Sun attempted to unwrap his legs as Blake tugged on the weapon, attempting to reel him in. His attempt was futile, opting instead to grab at the surroundings to keep him from closing the distance.</p><p>He grabbed a broken cement tile from the ground in the courtyard and held on with a tight grip. Her attempt to pull him closer was met with strong resistance and another cocky smile. Another one. She thought. He had endlessly mocked her since they encountered each other tonight. If there was one thing she was certain of, he was going to get it.</p><p>She stopped her tugging and he relaxed his grip, thinking he had stopped her. Unfortunately, she wrapped the chain around her dominant arm and gave a smile of her own. She looked over at Weiss still engaged with Neptune. She had closed the gap, but he had opted to jump onto the second story balcony of the school building with a wide-open window behind him he could use as escape if needed. He kept firing at Weiss, forcing her to not be able to engage.</p><p>She wasn't positive, but she thought she saw Weiss signal at her as she took cover behind a tree. Having Blake's vision, she could see perceptively at her partner as she signaled in Neptune's direction with her head. Blake looked back at a struggling Sun and knew exactly what she wanted. Smiling again, Blake gripped the chain tightly causing Sun to look at her with an intrigued face. She tugged forcefully, causing sun to roll to his stomach as he let out an uncomfortable "oof."</p><p>She then began pulling in one direction, slowly at first, but then began to pick up more and more speed until she was spinning him. Using all of her strength she spun around and round several times over until letting go and releasing her weapon completely and seeing Sun fly into the distance.</p><p>I hope this works. She thought.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune continued down the hallway as Ruby fired her weapon behind him, giving chase. He ducked and dodged shots as he looked over his shoulder, keeping her in his vision at all times.</p><p>"I'll be gentle, Jaune! You don't have to run!" Ruby yelled as she fired another shot.</p><p>He dodged again as it flew over his head. "I don't even know what you're talking about anymore! Just give up already!" He yelled back, still attempting to get more distance and shake her.</p><p>She frowned as she reverted her weapon back into a scythe and stopped aiming down her sights. He was making her work so hard and she was beginning to get annoyed. She just wanted him to give in and while his resistance was fun and somewhat cute, urges are urges.</p><p>The chase ended at the far end of a hallway near an open window. He saw his chance to get back outside, but before he could make his attempt, Ruby's Crescent Rose flew by his head, blocking the open window exit. Jaune attempted to un-wedge it but the weapon was stuck tightly, cutting off his escape.</p><p>How does she lift this friggin' thing? He thought.</p><p>He turned back to see Ruby watching him with an amused look on her face and hands on her hips. He swore that she was laughing at him, annoying him further.</p><p>"What's so funny?!" He announced.</p><p>"You, dummy." She responded. "You're so desperate." She walked closer and closer as Jaune gripped his weapons in defense.</p><p>She waved him off, causing him to drop his guard.</p><p>"We both know you're not going to fight me unarmed, Jaune. An Arc wouldn't do that."</p><p>Jaune's own eye twitched at her remark. Damn her and her intuitiveness. She could read him like a book and now, he was trapped with her here. He had one other option. He could fight unarmed. It was the only way for him to justify still fighting. With a force, he tossed his sword and shield in the same direction as Crescent Rose, un-wedging it from its spot.</p><p>Jaune's eyes went wide as he saw an opportunity for escape. Ruby shot him a look that dared him to try and make a run for it. Slowly, he began inching his way over to the open window as she also moved closer and closer.</p><p>"Jauuunnneee." She hummed.</p><p>He could feel the lump in his throat as she was close now. She could probably make a grab for him if he made his move to hastily. He had to wait for the opportune moment.</p><p>"Neptune made us do this, you know." He tried.</p><p>Ruby snorted a laugh. "Wow, you are so desperate. You might be worse than Ren."</p><p>Jaune's eyes opened in horror as Ruby flashed another smile at him. Ren. He thought. He had hoped that his teammate had escaped or at the very least passed out drunk somewhere safely.</p><p>"What about Ren?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"He's done for."</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>"We caught him. He talked. Now he's getting what was coming to him. Whether he liked it or not." She replied.</p><p>Jaune was confused by that last part, but her earlier statement had him worried too. Would Ren sell them out? In that case, did he tell them where Neptune's apartment was? This night seemed to be going further and further downhill as it progressed.</p><p>"Ren... Ren wouldn't talk." He began. "He's too good of a man. He wouldn't give up Neptune's place either. That's why you're trying to stop us now. You know if we make it off the property, we'll be in the clear. In fact, I don't believe you even caught Ren yet."</p><p>Ruby sighed as she pulled her scroll out from her pocket and began going through it. Jaune watched as she looked for something, apparently. A few moments later she came to a stop and smiled briefly.</p><p>"You may be half right." Ruby started as she clicked a few buttons on her scroll before placing it back in her pocket. "But you're incorrect about one thing."</p><p>Jaune felt his pocket vibrate as she put her scroll away. He reached in where the vibration was and pulled out his scroll. It read "One new picture message." He slid his screen to open the message and what he saw turned his face pale.</p><p>The picture was of Ren... tied to a chair... covered in... syrup? What the fuck? He thought. While he was wide-eyed staring at the image before him, Ruby had closed the gap more until she was standing in front of him. He's eyes were still glued to his phone as he didn't notice her get close to his ear.</p><p>"I bet you'd be even tastier covered in syrup too." She whispered.</p><p>Jaune's hear rate shot up and adrenaline kicked in as he had now noticed her proximity and devilish smile. He backed away slowly as she followed with each step he took.</p><p>"Y-You wouldn't..." He stammered, backing away.</p><p>"Yeah... You're right. I was thinking strawberry milk." She grinned.</p><p>Jaune didn't know where this was going, but he knew he was treading in some dangerous territory. In a flash, he retrieved his weapons from the windowsill and jumped to the balcony outside the building. Ruby stood and watched him escape the room. This was getting even more fun.</p><p>Jaune gained his balance outside the window after a narrow escape. He was stunned to find Neptune standing there with his back to him, firing his weapon out into the courtyard.</p><p>"Neptune?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Neptune stopped firing and turned his head to see Jaune behind him. "Jaune? How did you-"</p><p>"Incoming!" A voice yelled.</p><p>The two boys looked up in the air to see Sun flying at high speed directly at them with what appeared to be Blake's Gambol Shroud attached to his ankles. They tried to scatter, but the best they could do was brace themselves as the impact of Sun took out both of them, sending all three crashing to the courtyard below.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby, Weiss, and Blake met up together in the courtyard where the boys had landed, giving each other a high five after reuniting. Jaune was the first to stir awake. He saw the three approaching Neptune, Sun, and himself and looked around the area for his weapons. He had lost them in the fall and spotted them about 10 yards away.</p><p>Unfortunately for him, he found the chains from Gamble Shroud and caught him and his party and entangled them.</p><p>You have got to be kidding me. He thought.</p><p>He looked up to see that they were standing above him as he struggled to get free. He could feel that this game was about over. Neptune and Sun stirred awake just in time to see the girls smirking above them. Jaune's previous "Fuck yeah" had now, once again become...</p><p>"Fuck."</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. An Unlikely Ally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 10 – An Unlikely Ally</p><p>Yang wandered the halls of the school. The once loud and otherwise crowded bastion of learning was now quiet and empty. She could hear her own footsteps as she made her way towards the cafeteria in search of her missing friend. Nora made a good point of having her check the cafeteria. After all, what did people who drank a lot like to do? Eat.</p><p>She moved past her classrooms as old memories flood her mind. Some were good and most were bad. She recalled the time she "accidentally" had a malfunction with Ember Celica during class and fired off a few shots that peppered Cardin after he was "being a dick", in her mind, to the Faunus girl, Velvet, like he usually was to most people.</p><p>She giggled to herself as she recalled the fond memory. Beacon academy was the home to many like it. Not just for her, but for all her friends. Even now, with what was going on, this was another memory they would have. Of course, she and the others would be sure to have the last laugh on this cringe-like scheme Jaune and company had put together.</p><p>Her thoughts came to a halt as she approached the cafeteria. She heard nothing from the other side which made her uneasy. She had hoped that she would find Pyrrha, and even more importantly that bottle that was responsible for her disappearance. She opened the push able doors and saw the dark, empty cafeteria.</p><p>She walked past the tables scattered across the room that were vacant, just as the classrooms.</p><p>"Damn. I really thought she would be here." Yang commented to herself as she continued to look around the room.</p><p>As if on cue, she noticed a dim light coming from behind the counter of the cafeteria. This was the area where the food was served or prepared by the culinary staff of the school. She squinted to see if that would provide a better visual of what was behind the counter, but it was no good. She walked toward the kitchen area, following the glow of the light.</p><p>Once she reached the counter, she looked behind to see what the light was. It was small, flickering and hard to see even from where she was. She hopped the counter just to get a closer look. The light dangled over a sink in the back of the kitchen. Yang thought this was a foreboding sign and was honestly creeped out about it but pressed onward.</p><p>She reached the back of the kitchen and examined the light. She stared for a moment before noticing something else. Below the light, inside the empty sink was a piece of paper. As it was, she noticed there were words on the paper. She reached out and picked it up, bringing it up to the light for closer examination. She read aloud what she had found.</p><p>"You... can't... have them? What?" She spoke to herself, or so she thought.</p><p>Unsuspectingly, a pair of white, slender arms reached out from behind Yang and applied a choke hold around her neck. Yang dropped the paper and began squirming around in distress. Who had infiltrated the school and was attacking her? She began reaching out and swinging at anything she could, attempting to shake her assailant.</p><p>"You tried, but you will never have them." The person spoke to Yang.</p><p>Wait... I know that voice.</p><p>As Yang gasped for air, make out red hair from the corner of her eye. She knew EXACTLY who this was.</p><p>"Py-Pyrrh..a" She choked out, literally.</p><p>"Yeah, it's me. And I know what you're here for." She replied. "You're after them, but I won't let you."</p><p>Yang continued to gasp for air, slowly losing energy and consciousness. She attempted to ram Pyrrha into the refrigerator several times, hoping to make her release her death grip on her neck, but it was unsuccessful. As a last-ditch attempt, she fell backwards onto Pyrrha, who released a loud "Ooof" that echoed in the kitchen as they both slammed to the ground.</p><p>Even then, Pyrrha refused to release the grip she had on Yang. Yang pried at Pyrrha's arms which also proved to be futile. For some reason, she had become hostile to Yang and was not messing around.</p><p>"YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!" Pyrrha yelled defiantly.</p><p>"H-Have wha...at"</p><p>"DON'T ACT DUMB!"</p><p>"For the love of Oum, Pyrrha! What are you talking about?!" Yang asked, prying her arms apart for a second to get out a sentence.</p><p>"MY PUMPKIN PETE'S CEREAL! PART OF A COMPLETE BREAKFAST!"</p><p>Yang released her attempted escape out of pure disbelief only to be greeted by a stronger choke hold by Pyrrha. This was going to be how she dies? In a drunken fight with her friend with retard strength over cereal that she didn't even like?</p><p>She could feel herself drifting off to sleep against her will. Her vision was dark as she could smell the pure essence of alcohol off her friend. Lightning In a Bottle. She thought to herself.</p><p>"You... drunk... bitch..." She stated, drifting off to sleep.</p><p>"Victory!" Pyrrha yelled as if someone had been watching from the cafeteria.</p><p>She looked around the cafeteria. Her eyes narrowed as if she were suspicious of something. She eyed her surroundings, paranoid someone else was about to attack. She crept slowly and quietly to the back of the kitchen where the now unconscious Yang had first discovered the note. She crouched down and began digging for something under the sink. Moments later, she pulled out two items. Two items that made her smile larger than any child on carnival day.</p><p>She pulled out a box of "Pumpkin Pete's cereal" that she immediately opened the top of, pouring a bundle of tasty oats into her mouth and began chewing wildly, like an animal. She drooled and chewed over and over until she was content. The other object she dug out was much more dangerous. She had the remainder of the "Lightning in a Bottle" drink (A/N: Patent pending) that had brought her to such a drunken stupor. She washed down her cereal with a big swig from the bottle and let out a refreshed "Ahhhhh", before letting out a large burp.</p><p>She moved with both objects back towards the front of the cafeteria counter in a dazed stumble, still feeling the effects of the drink. She stopped as she looked at her unconscious, former opponent on the ground next to her. She looked at the box of cereal and then smiled before dumping a large amount on Yang's face.</p><p>"You did a good job. Just don't tell anyone I gave you some or I'll have to share more." She spoke as if her friend was listening.</p><p>Yang laid there, unmoved by the sticky treat now sticking to her face and hair. Once Pyrrha was done littering on her friend, as well as the kitchen floor, she walked again towards the counter before slithering over it like a slug and falling to the floor without spilling her drink or her snack.</p><p>"What kind of restaurant doesn't have milk and a bowl? I'm complaining to that manager lady." She said as she sat at a table trying to regain her strength and stamina after a fight. She didn't particularly use a lot of energy, but alcohol does tend to have a way of tiring you out quickly. She took another big drink from her bottle and belched louder than her last one, causing her to smile before slamming her head to the table, seemingly unconscious.</p><p>She was about to drift off to sleep when she heard a crash outside the building causing her to jump from her seat.</p><p>"THEY'RE ON SALE! BUY YOU'RE OWN!" She screamed.</p><p>It took her a moment to calm herself and see that no one was around. Not even her previously vanquished, attempted thief had awoken from her spot of cereal slumber on the gross kitchen floor. Pyrrha looked around again and listened. She thought she heard the screams of a little girl outside the cafeteria.</p><p>"No, no, no! You can't do that!" Screamed a voice from outside.</p><p>"Someone needs help!" She yelled while pointing upwards. "Don't worry, I'm on my way!"</p><p>She went to move from her seat at the table she was at only to faceplant into the floor and drift off into a comatose-heavy, snoring slumber.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune fiddled with the chains as his captures closed in on him and the others. His legs were entangled in the tight grip of the lasso-like weapon and refused to budge. He unavailingly struggled against the tightness of it. Sun tried rolling his torso to get unbound. He was at first only caught by his ankles, but the collision and fall had become almost completely ensnared. Neptune found himself also struggling to get his legs unstuck from the unfair circumstances.</p><p>Before they could budge any longer, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake stood in front of them, smirks wide as can be.</p><p>"Well, that was some great teamwork. Impeccable timing, really." Weiss commented.</p><p>"I couldn't agree more." Blake replied.</p><p>"Now, what do we do with them?" Weiss asked.</p><p>Ruby stared Jaune down as he continued to struggle harder and harder. Her lips and legs twitched with unbridled anticipation. She could feel herself drooling slightly, but she didn't care.</p><p>"I can think of a few things." Ruby stated, wiping her mouth.</p><p>"Wh-what do you want?" Jaune asked in a panicked stammer.</p><p>Ruby walked over to him and crouched down next to his ear so that only he could hear. He froze and swallowed loudly as the other boys continued to fight against the restraints they had found themselves in.</p><p>"I want you alone." She whispered.</p><p>"I... I don't under-" Jaune tried.</p><p>"You, me, and a big glass of sticky, delicious, strawberry milk." She whispered again.</p><p>"No, no, no! You can't do that!" Jaune screamed, struggling again.</p><p>"Has anyone told you that you scream like a girl?" Blake asked.</p><p>"I like it when he screams." Ruby commented before licking him again.</p><p>Blake and Weiss jaw-dropped at their friend's boldness. Ever since she drank that powerful drink that knocked even Yang and Nora out for a time, she had gained that level of confidence that they had spoken of. Sure, she was still tipsy from it, but she was having a good time and, of course, it was fun watching Jaune freak out.</p><p>"You can't do that to me! Sun! Neptune! Help me!" Jaune cried.</p><p>"Oh, just give up. It's over." She whispered again.</p><p>Jaune relaxed and until his body collapsed on the ground. He was motionless. Still. Devoid of hope. Whatever they had planned, it was his culling.</p><p>Ruby stood up with a smile. She had gone from flirty to torturous all night and it was sending the poor, dumb blond different signals. What fate had been befell Ren? What was going to happen to him? Why did he ever listen to these two idiots and go along with their plan? Sure, he had a good laugh or five after all the work he put in and all the close calls, but what did it mean now?</p><p>He looked over at the three girls who had put their combat gear away. After all, what threat were they at this point? They had lost. Utterly defeated. How did they think they would stand a chance against ¾ of Team RWBY? Not even in their wildest dreams could they conquer that mountain.</p><p>He looked over at Neptune who had also stopped resisting. Had he finally given up as well? At least he didn't feel so alone in the thought now. But wait... was that a smirk?</p><p>What is he thinking? Jaune thought.</p><p>He peeked over at Sun who was completely still as well and had his eyes closed. Was he missing something? Something big?</p><p>"Right." Weiss spoke. "Well, we're going to have to move them somehow. Or maybe we should untie them?"</p><p>"Pfft. Yeah, right. So they can run again? Not happening." Blake laughed and waved off her friend's silly idea.</p><p>As the girls had stopped paying attention to the boys, Jaune noticed they began glowing a bright gold.</p><p>I'm sorry. What the fuck is this? I can't take any more surprises. He thought.</p><p>Before he knew it, he began rising from the ground onto his feet. They were still bound but he was being moved all his own as well as Neptune and Sun. He looked back to see two clones of Sun holding all three of the boys up. In a flash, they moved away from the three girls speaking to each other before they could notice and landed next to Neptune's Tri-hard.</p><p>As he picked up the weapon, all three girls watched in horror as he fired shot after shot at them, hitting them all and knocking them to the ground. They hit the ground with a thud, and their Aura was disrupted from the rapid-fire shots Neptune produced.</p><p>How did that work? Sun has to be still to activate his-</p><p>Jaune watched as Sun was still. He was coiled up in the restricting bondage that had kept him from moving. By binding him, they also gave him the chance to remain still and focus on his semblance. Jaune was about to cry at the pure adrenaline rush he was feeling now from their sudden counterattack.</p><p>Before he could react any further, the clones moved the tangled boys over to Jaune's Crocea Mors. Neptune nodded and gave his co-conspirator a smile.</p><p>"Take it. We're still in this." Neptune spoke to his friend.</p><p>Jaune smiled and bent down to retrieve his sword and shield in his hands. He looked over at Sun who was straining to keep his clones mobile. He was panting and breathing heavy.</p><p>"He needs to concentrate. You know what to do to keep him going, right?" Neptune asked Jaune.</p><p>Jaune thought for a second and smiled. You tricky bastard. He thought.</p><p>Being that the boys were held together. They were as one. They had a ranged attack with Tri-Hard, able to dodge with Sun's clones, defend with Crocea Mors, and now... they could keep a continuous flow of Aura going to Sun thanks to Jaune's semblance.</p><p>The girls looked on as Sun drew more and more clones as Jaune continued to infuse both boys with his semblance. Weiss furrowed her brow at what she was seeing. This might actually be the most annoying thing I've ever seen. She thought.</p><p>"The-They're like a final boss from a really drawn out video game!" Ruby yelled as she sat up from the ground.</p><p>"Bow at our final form! The NeJaSun!" Neptune yelled.</p><p>"Oh, fuck no! We are not calling this combination that!" Jaune yelled back at his partner.</p><p>Ruby launched herself at the trio only to be blocked by the onslaught of clones that Sun had created thanks to the aura boost he was receiving. They held her by Crescent Rose as she dangled in the air, kicking to get free.</p><p>"Oh, you got a better idea?" Neptune asked Jaune.</p><p>"I mean, yeah. Who wouldn't? That name is just... garbage." Jaune replied.</p><p>Ruby hung there annoyed as she watched the two boys bicker back and forth. She swung back and forth, slowly loosening her scythe as they continued to fight. Sun's clones eventually dropped Ruby and her weapon and she made yet another attack attempt on the boys.</p><p>"Pay attention to me!" She exclaimed.</p><p>This time, she was parried by Jaune as he extended his sword and shield out. He moved his attention from Neptune and looked over at Ruby who was not impressed by the new tactic they had devised. Weiss drew her sword only for Sun's remaining clones to dash her and knock it away from her to the ground as she was speared herself.</p><p>Blake looked around and the mess that had unfolded. She felt uneasy fighting this... thing? In any case, tying them up maybe wasn't the best idea. The best thing she could do now would be to retrieve Gambol Shroud and undo what they had done.</p><p>She dashed and slid under Ruby and began reaching for her weapon only to have her hand grabbed by a smiling Neptune. She looked up in surprise to meet his smile as he shook his head.</p><p>"Sorry, Kitty. But you created this mess." He spoke.</p><p>Slowly, he raised his Tri-hard until it was eye level with her as she looked on in horror.</p><p>"Don't look so scared." He spoke again. "It's a non-lethal shot, but it's still going to knock you on your ass for a while."</p><p>Ruby saw what was happening and immediately stopped her attack against Jaune and blocked the charging shot with her scythe. At such close range and powerful impact, it blasted both Ruby and Blake a few feet back.</p><p>"Predictable." Neptune stated.</p><p>Weiss looked on in horror at her friends losing the battle as she struggled to get free from the clump of clones that had held her against one of the trees in the courtyard. This battle had taken a turn for the worst. These three went from almost no teamwork to forming whatever the hell they were. She hated to admit it, but they were winning right now.</p><p>Jaune looked at the battlefield of women who were now trying to stand and catch their breath. He didn't enjoy hurting them, but they did attack first. He was going to see he wasn't the victim of a sticky, "licky" mess. He had his pride as a man.</p><p>"We should finish this." Jaune stated.</p><p>Neptune looked over at him as Sun remained concentrated in the clone distribution and forward attack.</p><p>"They may gain control of their aura again soon. He spoke again. "We don't want to get in a fist fight with that."</p><p>Neptune laughed at the comment. "Jaune, that might have been the smartest thing you've said tonight. Let's finish this and get out of here."</p><p>Jaune again used his sis semblance to give both Sun and Neptune a boost with their respective semblances. Sun generated two more clones. As soon as they appeared, they simultaneously made their way for both Ruby and Blake, pinning them to ground just like two others had done to Weiss against the tree.</p><p>"Get off!" Blake yelled.</p><p>All three girls squirmed against the powerful clones that were enhanced with Jaune's powerful aura. Ruby kicked wildly under the weight of the clones and shot Jaune a look of annoyance and anger.</p><p>Jaune smiled and stuck his tongue out at her.</p><p>"If you ladies don't mind, we'll be on our way now. I think I've had enough of your 'fun' for the night." Jaune commented as the other clones began moving them.</p><p>"You're not getting away!" Ruby exclaimed, red in the face. "You just wait, Arc! When you least expect it at night, I'm going to get you!"</p><p>The group continued to be carried by the remaining clones as he looked down at her, passing her pinned body.</p><p>"And that night will not be tonight." He commented smugly.</p><p>Ruby could feel herself getting fired up. She had him on the verge of tears earlier and now he was going to make a clean getaway? How could they let this happen? Her delicious snack was not getting away even if she had to bite her way out of this.</p><p>Ruby attempted to bite and gnaw her way out of the grasp of the Sun clone, but it was to no avail. She struggled and rocked back and forth with all her might as she kicked helplessly.</p><p>"Now who's desperate?" Jaune said, almost at the courtyard exit at this point.</p><p>"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YOU HORRO MOVIE-LOOKING THING!" A voice came from behind group of cheering boys.</p><p>They turned around to see something that they had not anticipated. They were not ready for it.</p><p>Running out in ragdoll form from the school building with a big bruise on her head was Pyrrha who swiftly kicked the clones off of all three girls in a rush. She had even retrieved her spear and shield from the armory somehow.</p><p>"Pyrrha! There you are!" Ruby exclaimed.</p><p>All three boys again began to sweat as their captives were released from imprisonment. Their escape would have to be postponed for now until they dealt with this new threat.</p><p>All four girls line up, side-by-side. Weiss spun her sword, loading the dust into the chamber. Pyrrha rocked back and forth in a daze as she stood next to her friends. Blake stared down the group who had attempted to make off with her weapon of choice. She was going to make them pay. Ruby was last to line up with her friends. She flashed her Crescent Rose and smirked at Jaune again.</p><p>"Like I said... You are not getting away." She spoke.</p><p>Jaune gave her a serious look of his own. "I will show you... you couldn't be more wrong!"</p><p>Pyrrha gave a serious look of her own. She stumbled slightly forward and removed something from her back before showing it to the group of boys who were confused at what they were looking at.</p><p>"And I will show you... WHAT A COMPLETE BREAKFAST LOOKS LIKE!" She yelled, dumping a mess of cereal into her mouth.</p><p>At that time, all thoughts were connected as one. Every male and female on the battleground had one thing in their mind and had one thing to say...</p><p>"What the fuck?..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. United Front</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 11 – United Front</p><p>It was another stare down. Well, except for Pyrrha. She was yelling at someone... in the opposite direction... that wasn't there? In any case, it was 4-on-3. The guys knew even with the numbers not in their favor, three of the four were having trouble with their aura and Pyrrha wasn't in her right mind if she had control.</p><p>The opposing group had a history of teamwork on their side and unparalleled skills. Their only worry was the infinite generator that was Jaune lending his aura off to both boys and himself to heal them from any incoming damage. Not to mention, Gambol Shroud was inhibiting them from separating for any time.</p><p>Analyzing the situation, they knew they would have to be smart and avoid rushing in.</p><p>"AHHHHHHH!" Pyrrha screamed as she did just that.</p><p>The other three watched as Sun generated two clones that immediately met Pyrrha head on. They intended to overpower her, but even two clones weren't enough to back her up. She held them off with her spear and pushed them back in the direction of the three boys, much to their surprise.</p><p>"Sun, send another one." Neptune ordered.</p><p>"I'd love to, but I need more juice." Sun commented, while having his eyes closed and trying to concentrate.</p><p>"What do you say, Jaune?" Neptune inquired.</p><p>"I'll give you more of my juice." He replied.</p><p>"This conversation seems wrong out of context."</p><p>Sun began to glow brighter as he summoned two more clones that attacked Pyrrha, this time overpowering her. They began pushing her further and further backwards. With her being dealt with, the boys looked back at the other three women who were eyeing them up, one of which that was without a weapon.</p><p>"We will give you the offer one last time. Allow us to leave and we won't have to continue this." Neptune reasoned.</p><p>The three girls were silent but looked at each other. They stared for a few moments before nodding their heads and looking back at the other three.</p><p>"By the end of the night" Blake started "You'll have all changed your tune... Forever."</p><p>"Just because you're some cringey-looking opponent, doesn't mean you're unbeatable." Weiss added.</p><p>"I've got a gallon of milk ready, Jaune." Ruby also added.</p><p>Neptune and Jaune looked at each other in surprise. They had figured with what they had shown this would be academic at this point. Jaune began feeding more of his power into Neptune this time. Neptune looked back at the girls a let out another sigh before throwing his gun into the sky.</p><p>They watched as it miraculously began to float there. They saw it begin to charge up, presumably to shoot.</p><p>"Okay then." Neptune commented with a smile, forcing their attention back to him. "Let's see how you dance."</p><p>They watched in horror as the rifle began firing bursts of shots into the air and showering fire down upon them.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Yang choked coughed violently as she awoke from her forced slumber. She turned to her side and began spitting up small particles of... cereal? As she turned, she watched as the oats fell off her body onto the floor. She continued to cough for several seconds as she attempted to remember what had happened and why she was on the floor.</p><p>After a little longer, it returned to her. Her drunk friend overpowered her and choked her out to the point of unconsciousness. The hard part was why? What the fuck was that all about? In any case, she picked herself up from the floor slowly, trying to ignore the lightheadedness. Once she stood up, she felt more cereal fall off her body as she grabbed her head.</p><p>What the fuck, though. She thought.</p><p>She grabbed onto the counter for support with her other hand as she attempted to make sense of it all. That was when she felt it... in her hair. Her eyes went wide as she noticed her luscious, blond hair had a ton of cereal in it.</p><p>For the most part, Yang was more tomboyish than anything. She had more fun kicking someone's ass and belching, while telling awful dad jokes then going out on a date. That being said, her hair was her pride. It was something she cherished more than anything else. And now, it had Pumpkin Pete's Summer Brand oats with marshmallows sticking to it and it was going to take hours to pick out, wash, and clean properly.</p><p>Her rage doubled in an instance. She felt her body overheat with a fiery passion as she let out a loud yell than echoed throughout the kitchen and cafeteria.</p><p>"YOU DRUNK BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"</p><p>Her hair glowed red and so did her eyes. Her aura was strong and overflowing now. She felt... stronger? She was unsure if that's what it was or maybe something else, but in any case, she was going to return what had been unjustly delivered upon her for trying to be a good friend... to that friend. But first thing was first, she needed her weapons.</p><p>Yang hopped the counter and began making her way to the weapon storage area. The final player was about to enter the match.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby dodged another shot from the Tri-Hard that was firing in all directions. Her teammates and herself had been pushed beyond the wall of the courtyard. Neptune's weapon had been keeping them from making an honest attempt at getting close to their opponents. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could offer in terms of ranged attacks.</p><p>"This is bullshit." Blake huffed from behind a tree. "Jaune's aura charity is a real pain."</p><p>"Yeah, I hope we can get something going soon." Weiss replied. "We need a plan."</p><p>They looked to Ruby who shook them off violently with her hands.</p><p>"You always have a plan, Ruby! Come on!" Blake begged.</p><p>"Yeah, but how are we supposed to fight that thing?!" She answered honestly.</p><p>The shots began to land around them, causing them to scatter amongst the tress and get more distance.</p><p>"If the shots are getting closer, that means they're walking closer. It also means that Neptune has a range." Ruby commented.</p><p>Weiss looked at her in surprise. "You may be right."</p><p>Weiss thought back to her initial fight one-on-one with Neptune. He kept his distance, but it was a strict distance. If she moved away, he had to follow. She couldn't believe she never thought about it prior. In the midst of a battle she never thought she would have to fight along with not being able to use her semblance, she could see how she missed that.</p><p>"So, he may have a range for his shots? That still won't help much seeing how we can't get close enough to even stop them." Blake mentioned.</p><p>Both girls had to agree. The best they could do is stay out of range.</p><p>Ruby looked over at Pyrrha who was still was still fighting off clone after clone that had pursued her. She swung wildly and off-balance, still drunk beyond cognition. Not going to get much help there except for keeping Sun busy. She thought. But that at least narrowed their problems to the bullets flying all around them.</p><p>That's when she saw it. One of the clones seemingly fizzing in and out of reality space. Her eyes went wide as she began to figure it out.</p><p>"Of course!" She shouted.</p><p>"Huh?" Blake asked.</p><p>"Between Neptune's rifle firing off and Sun's multiple clones, they are completely relying on Jaune's aura to keep attacking."</p><p>"Yeah, I think we've established that, Ruby." Weiss commented, peeking out behind another tree to check if the boys were moving closer.</p><p>"That means they have nothing left to generate of their own. If we can severe that connection, they won't even be able to fight anymore." Ruby finished.</p><p>"Again, we can't even get close to them to severe the connection." Weiss commented.</p><p>Ruby thought to herself for a moment. "Maybe... maybe we won't have to."</p><p>"Again, I say. Huh?" Blake commented with a skeptical face.</p><p>"Jaune has a lot of aura but it's not endless." Ruby replied with a hand on her chin. "If Sun and Neptune are syphoning his power at a constant rate just trying to keep us away, then he has to run out eventually."</p><p>Blake and Weiss were surprised initially at the response, but then smiled.</p><p>"Guess it pays to know your opponent as well as you do." Blake commented smugly.</p><p>Ruby's face flushed red for the uncountable time tonight but smiled a little herself.</p><p>"So, how much longer you think he can keep at this? We may be in for a long wait if-"</p><p>"Look out!" Weiss yelled.</p><p>Before they could react, the blasts from the Tri-Hard had found them and pelted the area with damage. Weiss and Ruby were able to somehow avoid the blast, but Blake was not so lucky, taking a hit to the back and legs, forcing her to ground.</p><p>She hit the dirt, face down with a 'thud', before rolling herself over in pain. Her aura had protected her against too much bodily harm, but Neptune wasn't joking when he said those shots would "knock her on her ass", as she now was.</p><p>"Blake!" Ruby yelled out.</p><p>Her teammates ran over as the firing seized momentarily. The boys had no direct visual on where they were and were seemingly, firing blindly into the area with hopes of forcing an overpowering victory.</p><p>Cooping her up, Weiss grabbed one arm and Ruby the other before they started retreating further away from the blasts.</p><p>"That really sucked." Blake commented.</p><p>"I can imagine." Weiss replied.</p><p>As they moved, they heard another barrage of shots being fired off. Ruby and Weiss turned back and watched as they were aimed in their general direction.</p><p>No way. Weiss thought.</p><p>As if in slow-motion, they gazed at the bullet storm as it rode high into the sky before plummeting downward in their direction. Blake braced for impact and Weiss was starstruck on the hopeless situation.</p><p>That's when a miracle happened. In a red flash, all three girls moved at frightening speed to the other side of the tree line before tumbling to the ground uncomfortably.</p><p>Weiss laid there for a moment trying to process what had happened. Blake just stared up at the sky from her back seemingly displeased on how this night was going, but thankful that they were saved.</p><p>What was... Weiss thought</p><p>That? Blake finished.</p><p>They both looked over at Ruby who was standing up against a tree with wide eyes and a smile. That was the moment they realized something special.</p><p>"My semblance worked."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune caught his own breath as they seized their firing momentarily. Powering one person up was not usually too much of a task, but two people was incredibly draining. Two grown males that were as skilled as them had the potential to continue fighting, but without his battery supply of power, they were near empty as well.</p><p>He dropped to one knee and without cutting off power to Sun, stopped filtering his power into Neptune and his rifle as it dropped to the ground.</p><p>Neptune looked over to his partner to see that he was nearly exhausted.</p><p>"How you holding up?" He asked.</p><p>Jaune breathed in and out of his mouth slowly, showing more signs of fatigue. "Our combination is very powerful but handing off too much at once is finally getting to me."</p><p>"It's understandable. You've never had to give off to two people before. Doesn't help that Sun and I exhausted ourselves and are basically relying on you for all of this."</p><p>They looked over to see Sun still concentrating on his clones that were undoubtedly still fighting Pyrrha at this time. She may be drunk, but she is still a growing threat. He hadn't spoken much since the battle began and wanted his full attention on his opponent. An unfortunate part of his semblance's full power was he needed to rely on staying still.</p><p>"We've pushed them far." Neptune began. "We may be okay to rest a little while they lick their own wounds."</p><p>"Do you think we should make a break for it now?" Jaune commented again, still hunched over.</p><p>Neptune contemplated it momentarily. "If we did that, we should try and get untangled and move ourselves. We should push them off one last time before we do that to be sure we've got the time and distance to do that."</p><p>"Yeah, good idea." Jaune replied. "Just give me a minute and then we'll launch a full-scale attack."</p><p>"Ahem." They heard from across the courtyard.</p><p>They looked over by the entrance to see a little less for wear, was the Schnee heiress in her custom dress. She had clear signs that she had taken a decent amount of damage, assumingly from Neptune's shots. Even so, she had a look of contempt on her face.</p><p>Jaune stood up and began to syphon his power back into Neptune, whose Tri-Hard began floating in the air again as if to threaten her.</p><p>"I didn't come back to fight." She stated.</p><p>The two boys raised an eyebrow at her statement. Jaune dropped his guard momentarily but kept his power flowing through Neptune in case of a trap.</p><p>"Then what do you want?" Neptune asked.</p><p>"To speak on terms of surrender."</p><p>Neptune and Jaune were surprised by her words. Even Sun, who was still deep in concentration, showed sign of surprise on his face. Jaune and Neptune high-fived before returning their attention back to the white-haired girl.</p><p>"Where's Ruby and Blake?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Neptune also looked around the area, thinking this to be a trap or some sort of diversion. Nothing happened though. Weiss stood alone, at the entrance.</p><p>"That last bombing destroyed a lot out there and it hurt Blake. Ruby is caring for her."</p><p>Neptune gave a wicked smile in response. "I sunk their battleship."</p><p>"Right." Neptune spoke again. "For your surrender, all we want-"</p><p>"Excuse me?" She replied, almost offended. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>"Uh, your surrender?" Jaune replied.</p><p>Weiss's face went from confused to laughing as she listened to Jaune's own confused response. Neptune and Jaune looked at each other, seemingly annoyed as the girl continued to laugh. What was so funny? Had she come here to mock them?</p><p>"Oh," She began after finishing her laughing fit. "I was talking about your surrender."</p><p>It was now Jaune and Neptune's turn to laugh after she made her comment and looking at each other. She stood there defiantly with a smirk of her own until they stopped their fit.</p><p>"Oh? Oh, you were serious?" Neptune asked.</p><p>"Sure am."</p><p>"Okay, princess." Neptune spoke again, smiling at her. "What are your 'demands?" He asked her using air quotes around the last part.</p><p>"You and Sun take your ass whooping like men after apologizing. If you do that, it won't be as bad."</p><p>"What about me?" Jaune asked.</p><p>Weiss smiled at Jaune. "You turn yourself over to Ruby."</p><p>A spine-tingling shudder ran down the spine of Jaune. He knew that option might end with a "sticky situation" that he knew he would not handle well. He swallowed loudly and gave Weiss a stern look. She raised an eyebrow, curious for his response.</p><p>"That... is something we cannot accept." Jaune replied for the group. Neptune turned and smiled at the blond who was willing to stand up for himself. "I'll admit we were wrong, but I won't let you have your way."</p><p>Weiss sighed at his response. She knew they would stand against her though. They thought they held all the cards when it came to this fight, and until a few moments ago, they did. Unfortunately, they were about to get the wake-up call of all wake-up calls.</p><p>"Okay." Weiss began. "Like you've been saying, just remember I gave you the option."</p><p>They watched as Weiss drew her sword from her person. Neptune's rifle began to charge up after Jaune once again filtered his power through Neptune. They figured she would charge them and, but much to their surprise she instead stabbed the ground with her sword and a glyph appeared at the puncture site.</p><p>They were further surprised as they saw Weiss's Ice knight rise from behind her at the exact entrance of the courtyard gate. It rose slowly from the ground as the boys' eyes widened in fear.</p><p>Fuck. Her semblance is working. Jaune thought.</p><p>"Jaune, we have to give that thing everything. You too Sun!"</p><p>The knight ran at them and drew its oversized sword in a hurry. It dashed past Weiss as she watched it happen. Her knees ached in pain from already over-using her power after just regaining control of it. This would be their only shot.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Pyrrha fought off another attack as she gritted her teeth. These clones were attacking again and again with no relief and at this point she just wanted more of her damn drink.</p><p>"GLOWING MONKEY'S SHOULD FUCK OFF!" She yelled as she tossed her shield at them.</p><p>Much to her surprise, the object passed through all four of them as they faded from reality, leaving her standing in the woods alone by herself.</p><p>"Oh... well... Okay then. That's better." She spoke.</p><p>She reached for her drink and took a giant sip before buckling the bottle to her waist for later consumption. She lost her balance slightly and leaned against one of the trees in the area before laughing.</p><p>"No more monkeys jumping on the bed."</p><p>Her words and thoughts were interrupted as she looked over to the courtyard area where she saw a giant ice knight being summoned before running off in a random direction.</p><p>"Ohhhhh Shiny!" She yelled before running off in the same direction.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Sun re-summoned the clones that he had dismissed from Pyrrha in front of him and the others for further protection. They charged at the knight in an attempt to stop if from advancing on their position. All in all, about 10 clones collided with the knight. The best they could do was slow down it's pace as it continued to advance.</p><p>The concentration on both Sun and Jaune to stop the knight could be seen on their faces. Jaune gave what energy he had left to Neptune as his rifle fired over and over into the night. The blasts did minimal damage but continuing to fire, began to chip away at it. Slowly, the knight began to lose chunks of ice from itself that fell to the ground.</p><p>Weiss stared in disbelief as her knight began to fail to reach them.</p><p>Just a little closer. She thought.</p><p>The boys' confidence returned slowly seeing the knight begin to take more and more damage. Before they knew it, the knight lost its right arm but still continued to press on with the sword in its left. The battle of wills carried on for what seemed like an eternity.</p><p>The knight grew slower and slower but had finally reached the group. It raised its only arm, ready to deliver the devastating blow that they could not afford.</p><p>"Come on, you son of a bitch! GO DOWN!" Sun yelled, breaking his concentration.</p><p>As if by the grace of Oum and the gun fire of Tri-hard, the shots saved them at the last moment. Before the arm could come down on them, the knight lost it to the wayside of its body, sword and all.</p><p>Weiss looked on as her protector was unable to strike the group of boys. All four were exhausted from this battle and she knew that it would no longer be able to act.</p><p>"What now, Weiss?!" Neptune yelled. "You're finished! This game is over!"</p><p>Weiss collapsed to both knees, weak from using up what she had. "You're... You're right about that."</p><p>That's close enough. She thought, hiding her smile.</p><p>Neptune was confused by her words and even more importantly was confused by why she had not decided to recall her giant knight and reserve what power she had left. He looked up and gazed upon it's structure as it had made it as close as a foot in front of them. He smiled at his good luck as his friends caught their breath.</p><p>Sun recalled his clones to save some strength and let out an exhausted cough as the sweat drenched his face. Jaune also felt his knees giving shortly. He smiled though as he stood his ground and the battle was won... Or so he thought.</p><p>In an instant, all three boys saw a hand reach out from underneath the body of the knight. Before they could react, it grabbed a hold of the grip portion of Gambol Shroud and pulled inward, towards itself. This caused all three boys to fall backwards onto the ground as they became slowly untangled, much to their horror. As they fell, they saw Blake's cat-like grin.</p><p>She was hiding on the giant's bac the whole time?! Neptune thought.</p><p>Gambol Shroud had been untangled completely and all three boys were separated from each other just as quickly. Neptune and Sun fell immediately to the ground after having their power supply cut off. Jaune remained erect, all be it, spagetti-legged and weak. Tri-hard fell to the ground after Neptune was no longer able to be powered by Jaune's aura.</p><p>Weiss released the summon on her knight after the power to the gun was disconnected and fell forward in exhaustion. Blake jumped backwards as the Knight began to smoke and deconstruct further. She landed behind it and readied her weapon as Jaune tried to raise his own, weak from the draining effect that he had used to power the other two.</p><p>Before he could ready an offensive attack, Ruby also emerged from the giant's back as it deconstructed as used her semblance to quickly tackle Jaune to the ground a few feet from Neptune and Sun, preventing him from healing them from exhausting their own power.</p><p>"Nooooooo!" He screamed as he hit the ground.</p><p>The knight was a distraction for them!</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The battle drew to a close. Neptune and Sun were incapacitated from using too much power and Jaune was too weak to move from his captive state. Blake smiled at the result of their plan. She looked down at her weapon with her smile and gripped it tightly, happy to have it back. She looked back at Weiss who was prone on the ground, attempting to lift herself up.</p><p>Blake limped over to her slowly, still feeling the effects of the Tri-Hard. Once she reached her, she knelt down and assisted in lifting her up as she had done earlier for her. Once they were to their feet, Weiss smiled at Blake and nodded at her as to thank her.</p><p>"We did it." Weiss commented.</p><p>"Thanks to you." Blake replied.</p><p>"I don't accept this!" They heard.</p><p>They looked over to see Jaune kicking and screaming as Ruby held him in a death clutch to the ground. They made their way over to where he and Ruby were as he effortlessly struggled to get free.</p><p>"Don't accept what? How you utterly failed?" Blake asked mockingly.</p><p>"That was a dirty trick!" Jaune cried. "Get her off me please! I don't want to be licked again!"</p><p>The two girls just laughed as Ruby raised her face to his. They made eye contact as Jaune nervously swallowed and tried to move again.</p><p>"It's just like earlier!" Ruby laughed.</p><p>"I didn't hold you to the ground! I tripped!"</p><p>She lowered her mouth to his ear as he continued his struggle.</p><p>"Maybe you should have. I might not have minded." She whispered slowly. She then licked his earlobe and gave it a nibble much to his surprise. He moaned quietly at her action. His body seized it's attempt to break free as he lost control.</p><p>"L-let me g-g-go."</p><p>She stopped her nibbling and returned to eye level with him as he attempted to catch his breath and regain control.</p><p>"Never." She spoke. "You and I have milk and cookies waiting."</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"Maybe."</p><p>"What?..."</p><p>"What?..."</p><p>After a few minutes, all three boys were apprehended. They were separated this time as to not create another "NeJaSun" as Neptune shamelessly called their formation. Neptune and Sun were left against the school wall as Jaune was held hostage by Ruby.</p><p>"Look's like your night is over is over, boys." Blake commented.</p><p>Neptune, who had awoken finally moments earlier looked up at the darkening sky. It was getting later, but that meant nothing now. His plan failed, and now, his escape plan had ended in failure. He looked back at Weiss and Blake who were battered from their fight.</p><p>"So, who has my car, anyway?" Neptune asked.</p><p>Weiss removed it from her back and dangled it in front of him as he watched helplessly. His eyes went to her smug smile as she continued to dangle it. His body was sore and weak following the fight. He had the strength to reach for it, but he knew she wouldn't allow it.</p><p>His gaze the traveled to the red-headed warrior who showed up towards the end of the battle earlier that was stumbling her way in their direction. The other girls turned to see what he was looking at as she approached them slowly.</p><p>"Hey, Pyrrha, you okay?" Ruby asked as she continued her death clutch on Jaune who had stopped resisting at this point.</p><p>Pyrrha reached them finally and slowly dropped to both knees. Ruby released Jaune who fell to the wayside near Sun and Neptune. Sun peeked from his position on the ground as he continued to fake his slumber. He was waiting for the right moment to act.</p><p>The girls made their way to Pyrrha to check on their friend. She silently sobbed, causing the girls to think something had happened to her. Weiss looked back at the boys with narrowed eyes.</p><p>"WHAT DID YOU THREE DO?!"</p><p>"We didn't do anything! We've been here in case you forgot!" Neptune yelled back in defense.</p><p>Weiss slowly turned her head back to Pyrrha to check on her.</p><p>"Pyrrha, what's wrong?" She asked.</p><p>"It's gone..."</p><p>"What's gone?"</p><p>"My love."</p><p>"Your what?"</p><p>"MY LOVE!" She yelled with tears in her eyes.</p><p>"Pyrrha... You're scaring us." Blake commented with a grimace.</p><p>Pyrrha looked up at them from her knees with her teary eyes and red face.</p><p>"MY PUMPKIN PETE'S CEREAL IS GONE!" She cried openly from her knees.</p><p>The girls took a sigh of relief before smiling at each other. Alcohol and Pyrrha most definitely did not mix. She was probably going to have such a terrible headache by the time this night was over. Until then, maybe they could get a few more laughs out of her.</p><p>Blake looked down at Pyrrha's waist and saw the drink she and Weiss had openly turned down earlier.</p><p>Has she been drinking directly from that? No wonder she's a mess. She thought.</p><p>Blake slowly reached down as Pyrrha continued to cry and made an attempted grab to get the bottle away from her. Before she could grab it, Pyrrha instantly stopped crying and grabbed her arm in defense with force. The sudden contact made Blake jump as she looked back at her friend's face. Her eyes were stern. She stared at Blake in a judging fashion as Pyrrha pulled herself to her feet, keeping Blake's arm in her grasp.</p><p>"It was you..." Pyrrha stated.</p><p>"It was me?" Blake asked.</p><p>"You ate my cereal. You tried to take my drinky drink. You are a bad person!"</p><p>Blake's ears drooped at the sudden change in mood. Her eyes showed fear now. Weiss and Ruby were also getting worried at how Pyrrha was beginning to act and tried to calm her down.</p><p>"Pyrrha... I didn't take your cereal. You're hurting me. Please let go?" Blake asked.</p><p>"You stole it and now you're lying? You're a bad kitty."</p><p>"What the hell does that mean?" Pyrrha's grip only tightened. "You're hurting me, Pyrrha!"</p><p>"Then where is it?!"</p><p>"It's right here!" A voice announced.</p><p>"Where?!" Pyrrha asked.</p><p>In a flash, Yang's fist made direct contact with Pyrrha's face, loosening her grip on Blake as she went flying across the courtyard into the rubble from the fight that occurred earlier.</p><p>Blake, Weiss, and Ruby looked at Yang who was mouth-breathing deeply and glowing red after she had knocked their friend all the way to the other side of the courtyard and possibly into a coma. She looked back at the group who held a look on their faces that gave off "why?"</p><p>"She's an asshole! That's why!" Yang yelled.</p><p>Blake merely gripped her arm that Pyrrha had grabbed and was rubbing it. She kind of had to agree. Pyrrha was officially... a bad load.</p><p>"In any case... You missed quite a fight, Yang." Ruby motioned as she pointed to the three boys scattered on the ground and against the building.</p><p>Yang looked over at them and laughed at their situation as her hair and eyes went back to blond. Just surveying the courtyard and the forest grounds outside, se new Professor Goodwitch was going to have one hell of a clean-up.</p><p>"Well, I guess I'll have to take it out on the redhead over there." Yang said as she pointed in the direction Pyrrha's body had landed.</p><p>She began walking over to the edge of the courtyard as the others stood there and laughed to themselves. From behind them, Sun saw his opportunity. Using the last of his power that he saved from Jaune's generous aura, he generated three clones from his position. Two of them, immediately grabbed both Jaune and Neptune, covering their mouths as to not make any noise.</p><p>They took off in the direction of the gates they had once attempted to escape from prior to the fight. The last one, instead of picking up Sun's body, was used to grab the car from Weiss's hand as she stood with her friends.</p><p>All three turned around as the clone stole the car to see the clone. The clone delivered a kick to all three of them that caught them off guard and sent them flying into Yang before all four fell to the ground in shock. The clone then threw the car in the direction of the two boys that were carried off, reaching just enough distance for Neptune to catch it in his hands.</p><p>"Sun, come on!" He yelled as he was carried off.</p><p>Sun simply smiled at his friends as the clone then piled on top of the girls to hold them down.</p><p>"I can't hold them for long! You boys get out of here! I don't have the strength to move from here!"</p><p>Jaune could feel a tear fall from his face as he was carried off. His friend had made the ultimate sacrifice in the face of danger and made an opening for them to leave the grounds. Jaune and Neptune gave a silent nod as the clones ran them out of view.</p><p>Back in the courtyard, three of the girls were exhausted from the fight and trying to push a clone off them, as proving to be more difficult than it should have been. Fortunately, yang had more than enough anger to go around as she moved her teammates and the clone into the air and sent them to the ground, forcing the clone to dispel.</p><p>"You son of a-" Yang yelled as she looked back at Sun who was smiling ear to ear.</p><p>The other girls returned to their feet and saw that both Jaune and Neptune had gained too much ground in their weakened state to catch. Instead, they made their way over to Sun who was still concentrating as long as he could on the other clones who were carrying his friends before Yang kicked him into an unconscious slumber.</p><p>As he drifted, he left the smile on his face, almost in a mocking gesture at them. He was a hero in his mind.</p><p>Blake looked at his sleeping figure, annoyed at what had just transpired.</p><p>"Hey... guys?" Ruby commented.</p><p>"What's up now, Ruby?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"Where's Pyrrha?" Ruby asked them.</p><p>Yang immediately turned to look at the area she had supposedly knocked her out at to see that her body was now missing. She dropped to her knees as cereal fell out of her hair again in complete disbelief.</p><p>"You drunk bitch." She murmured quietly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Strategic Retreat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 12 – Strategic Retreat</p><p>Jaune and Neptune crashed to the ground without warning. Neptune rolled down the hill both were being carried down and collided with a tree at the base. The pain was aching as he was unable to brace himself properly. Luckily, within his hands was the camera that Sun had also rescued for him and it was safe and sound.</p><p>Jaune found himself in a bush with sharp prickles. He crawled out on his hands and knees as he found Neptune in front of him. He looked back at where the two had come from to see they had put a decent amount of distance between themselves and Team RWBY. The reason was clear to them why they had fallen and why Sun's clones had disappeared. Something had happened to incapacitate him.</p><p>From here, we might be able to get away. Jaune thought to himself quietly.</p><p>He rose to his feet slowly and brushed himself off. The greenery fell off him and he picked a few thorns from himself. The gardener was not doing his job if you can't fall in a few bushes without getting slashed. He'd have to remember to bring that up later if he survived. He walked over to Neptune who was resting against the tree, still exhausted from using up his power. Jaune offered his hand to him as he looked up.</p><p>"Come on. We can't stay here." Jaune spoke.</p><p>Neptune reached out and grabbed his only remaining teammates hand as he was helped to his feet gingerly. Jaune even brushed him off so he didn't look like a homeless man prowling the school grounds.</p><p>"I don't know if I can run." Neptune replied. "If I can't keep up, I want you-"</p><p>"Don't even." Jaune cut him off. "Sun just sacrificed himself to make sure we both got out of here. That means we are BOTH getting off the property."</p><p>Neptune's mind returned to his team leader that saved him. Both Sun and Ren were people he invited to take part in this and now they were paying for it. This night had taken a complete turn for the worst. The only lucky thing going their way was that both teams were exhausted from their brawl. He was going to be sure to try and avoid any ore fighting with their powers returning.</p><p>Without asking, Jaune took Neptune's right arm and threw it over his shoulder for support. He then began to walk in the direction of the main road, away from the school.</p><p>"You're strong, Jaune." Neptune commented. "You're the reason we even had half a chance in that fight."</p><p>"Yeah, well, we didn't exactly win that either." Jaune replied.</p><p>"You're right." Neptune replied.</p><p>They walked slowly through the woods as to not overdo it. They had made it into a clearing. Neptune had recognized where they were. He saw the edge of the hill and the tree where he had spotted the girls initially with his equipment a week ago. He stared at the crevice where they hid the alcohol they would later consume, and a chill ran down his spine.</p><p>"Do you think Sun will be okay?" He asked Jaune.</p><p>Jaune stopped for a second and retrieved his scroll from his pocket. He wanted to be honest with Neptune and whether he wanted to see it or not, he needed to. Neptune shot him a confused look after he abruptly stopped walking. He watched as Jaune scrolled through a gallery and saw his face go pale.</p><p>"I... I don't think so, pal." Jaune commented.</p><p>"What makes you say that?" Neptune asked.</p><p>"LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO MY FUCKIN' BOY!" Jaune replied.</p><p>He showed Neptune the picture of Ren covered in syrup and tied to a chair in the same room they had been in earlier in the night. Neptune's face also went pale as he stared at Ren. He felt sick to his stomach on a multitude of reasons. He felt guilty for what had happened and what was going to happen to Sun.</p><p>"I think I'm going to vomit." He replied, covering his mouth.</p><p>Jaune returned his scroll to his pocket only for a moment before it began to ring. He retrieved it again and his face became pale once more as he saw the caller-ID as Sun. Neptune and he shared a look before Neptune gave him the nod as to say, "do it." Jaune nodded back before hitting the button to speak and then putting it on speaker so both could hear.</p><p>"Hello?" He asked.</p><p>"You boys have a lot of nerve taking off like that and leaving your friend behind." A voice spoke.</p><p>Both boys recognized the voice as the Schnee heiress. Her tone was apprehensive as it had been throughout the night.</p><p>"We didn't plan on it, but we had some help on that part." Neptune replied.</p><p>Jaune looked behind him out of paranoia. He opted to keep walking as they spoke on the phone with Weiss in order to get back to base.</p><p>"Yeah, well, don't you worry. He's going to be punished for that, let me tell you." She replied.</p><p>"Let me guess." Neptune retorted. "This is the part where you tell us if we don't come back his punishment will be much worse?"</p><p>On the other side of the phone Weiss smiled. Maybe he did know her a little better than she had initially thought. She looked over at Blake who was sitting on her bed and then at Sun who was gagged on the floor and once again bound by Gambol Shroud.</p><p>"Yeah, something like that." She answered.</p><p>Neptune sighed. "First of all, babe."</p><p>Babe? Again? She thought with an annoyed twitch.</p><p>"Don't you know it's illegal to use someone else's scroll?" He replied smugly.</p><p>"Don't you know it's illegal to record people without their knowledge?" She answered.</p><p>"Don't you know it's illegal to detain people against their will and torture them?" He answered a little more sternly this time.</p><p>She chuckled lightly into the phone. Jaune and Neptune felt uneasy at her response. What kind of monster(s) did they create tonight? Jaune gave another look over his shoulder due to the uneasy feeling and began doubling his efforts to get down the mountain to the road.</p><p>"Okay, then." Blake commented from behind Weiss. "I guess you'll be the one calling the police then?"</p><p>She had them there. They couldn't do that without risking themselves getting in trouble with everyone from the local authorities, to Ozpin. They walked quietly down the path in endless thought. Jaune's eyes traveled to Neptune's hand. He had the camera-car gripped tightly as he was speechless to say anything.</p><p>Jaune stared at his hand for a few seconds before his eyes went wide. He had a thought. No! He had a plan!</p><p>"You may have us there." Jaune commented. "But."</p><p>Weiss and Blake's smile dropped after hearing that last comment. Sun continued to struggle against his binds as Blake gave him a look of 'I dare you' before he stopped. She returned her attention to the phone.</p><p>"But what?" She asked.</p><p>"Well," He began. "We have video evidence of a bunch of underage girls drinking in a school dorm room and causing a ruckus when they shouldn't be."</p><p>Weiss and Blake cringed slightly at the comment as they looked at each other with worry.</p><p>"And I even have a picture from Ruby that she was so kind to provide me of you all covering another student in an unnamed sticky substance."</p><p>"It's syrup."</p><p>"So, you admit it?"</p><p>Weiss gripped the phone in her hand tightly. She didn't like the tone he was using with her. She looked over at Blake who had a look of worry on her face. With actual proof they held the cards now. If anyone saw what was on that camera, they might all be in for a long lecture from Ozpin, Goodwitch, Oobleck, Port, or worse... ALL of them.</p><p>"You're really pushing it tonight, Arc." Weiss responded.</p><p>Neptune smiled at the reply. We go them. He thought. Jaune and Neptune shared a look of optimism. Once they were back to the apartment and the data could be converted into a video file, they would be able to bargain for a release of their comrades. Jaune was now in control of the situation.</p><p>"I never wanted it to come to this, Weiss. Once we get back to Neptune's place, we're going to be able to be able to show this evidence to anyone and everyone."</p><p>Weiss and Blake blinked and looked at each other for a moment. Neptune's face went pale</p><p>"So... you have to be at his apartment to convert the video file?" Blake asked, still smiling.</p><p>"Jaune... We need to go." Neptune commented.</p><p>At this time, Jaune noticed the one, crucial mistake that he had made. He spoke too much and now they knew they had a little more time to work on finding Neptune's place. Jaune began moving at a faster pace.</p><p>"You'll never make it there." Weiss spoke.</p><p>Sun had been struggling again since his two captures had been pre-occupied with the conversation. He crawled his way over to the team's nightstand in between their bunkbeds. He wormed his way to the edge of the stand and began using the corner of the drawer to tug at his gag. He moved over and over again, hoping he wouldn't miss his window of opportunity.</p><p>His binds were tight, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. They had to know. He thought. He scratched his face over and over just to move the gag. Eventually, he got it loose and use his tongue to press it off his face. Sun looked back at the two who had finally noticed what he as doing and were making their way towards him.</p><p>"NEPTUNE! JAUNE!" Sun cried. "Ruby and Yang are on your tail! KEEP RUNNING!"</p><p>Sun was then re-gagged as Blake started putting him in a choke hold as punishment. Weiss looked back at the phone that she had neglected to hang up in time.</p><p>"Guess you boys better keep moving." She commented before hanging up.</p><p>Back in the forest, the Neptune and Jaune were in full panic mode. Neptune moved as much as he could to keep at Jaune's pace with his help. He gave a look behind him and failed to see anyone still. Looking back to in front of him, he could see the edge of the forest where the road was.</p><p>"Jaune." He commented.</p><p>Jaune looked over at him without slowing his run.</p><p>"Sun and I arrived on my motorcycle. It should be up ahead. Can you drive?"</p><p>"Uhhh... No?"</p><p>"Cool. First time for everything."</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Back in Team RWBY's room, Weiss and Blake were waiting to hear from Ruby and yang. They had initially thought to send them to look for Pyrrha but on the off chance she was feeling like putting them into a surprise chokehold like she had done earlier, they figured just let her be for now. After all, how far could she get?</p><p>Sun struggled on the floor again. He wondered where in the world Yang and Blake had learned to tie rope this tight and in this manner. He had his arms and legs bound behind as he rolled around on his stomach. He looked over at Blake's stacks of "Ninjas of Love" that were piled on his bed and let out a sigh.</p><p>Of course. Pervert. He thought.</p><p>Weiss looked over at him as he continued his fruitless struggle. She tapped Blake and pointed over at him when giving a laugh. Blake smiled to as she made her way over to where he was. He watched as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. She reached down and undid his gag. He mouth-breathed for a few moments, finally able to catch his breath after struggling.</p><p>"Enjoying your time in our room, Monkey boy?" Blake commented.</p><p>"No offense," He began. "But I'd already seen it earlier. And it was a better experience."</p><p>Blake dropped her smile and began using he foot to rock the bound boy back and forth much to his displeasure. Having used up his power, there wasn't much he was going to be able to do to stop her.</p><p>"You know, for someone in the position you're in, you might want to drop that smug attitude you have." She continued.</p><p>"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. I told you earlier I don't break easy and soon enough you'll be the one dropping your attitude when they put your video package together for the whole school to see."</p><p>Blake grabbed him by his bindings and pulled him up to her face to his surprise. She wasn't playing around anymore. His knees were uncomfortable with her weapon digging into his flesh.</p><p>"We're giving you the chance to do what Ren didn't and give up the location of Neptune's apartment. Don't squander this opportunity." Weiss spoke from across the room.</p><p>"You won't get this chance again. I guarantee that." Blake finished.</p><p>Sun dropped his smile as he watched both of them speak. He had to admit that the offer was tempting. He might get out of this completely free. He thought back to his last attempt at rescuing his friends not long ago and everything that they had done. If he betrayed them now, he would be the worst kind of friend and everything up that point would have been for nothing.</p><p>He looked back at Blake who rose an eyebrow at him, still clutching his rope. He smiled again in her face, fearless as ever.</p><p>"Sorry, Kitty. I fear nothing and regret less." Sun spoke.</p><p>She threw him to the ground as he let out and "oof" from the impact. She stood up from the bed and stared down at him. He looked up from the ground at the woman standing above him with an inquisitive look of his own. She smiled down at him.</p><p>"We'll see about that. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this." Blake commented.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune and Jaune had finally reached the road. They collapsed together after finally clearing the trees. The hike was manageable with enough strength, but after a fight and then running, they were almost completely wiped out from this night. Unfortunately, they did not have the pleasure of stopping now. Of what was left of Team RWBY, Yang was at optimal power and Ruby was less hurt than Weiss or Blake.</p><p>Jaune got to his feet and pulled Neptune up. He looked behind him and could hear feet running in their direction. Damn it. He thought.</p><p>"Neptune, where's the motorcycle?" Jaune asked in a hurry.</p><p>Neptune tried his best to catch his breath in between words.</p><p>"It... should be... over there." He commented.</p><p>He pointed to a bushel of bushes across the road. Jaune nodded his head at his friend and pulled him to the other side quickly. The footsteps were getting louder now. In a hurry, he dumped Neptune into the bushes and dove next to him, covering his mouth. They remained eerily still for a few moments as the footsteps approached from the other side.</p><p>"Still no sign of them." Ruby commented.</p><p>"Yeah, well, they definitely went this way. Tracking them was pretty easy so far." Yang replied.</p><p>Neptune swallowed silently as sweat trickled down the back of his neck. They had gotten this far and now the motorcycle was right next to them. All they had to do was start it and go, but if they moved to quickly, they'd be caught before they can even make that attempt.</p><p>"Do you think they got in a car or something?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Maybe." Yang pondered. "The tracks end here so that would be my guess, but we should still keep looking. If we lose them now, we might not ever find them."</p><p>"I can't believe he got away again." Ruby angrily pouted.</p><p>Yang chuckled at her sister's comments. Jaune and Neptune watch from the bushes across the street at the two, waiting for them to move. Neptune looked down at his hand at the camera-car. He knew if things went badly, Jaune was in better shape to get away and couldn't risk this being taken away again. Without making a sound, he placed the object in Jaune's pocket with him none the wiser.</p><p>Neptune knew it was an underhanded trick, but he couldn't let Sun or Ren's sacrifices be for nothing. He was willing to do the same if it came to it, though he could only wonder what would be in store for him.</p><p>"Maybe we should check in with Blake and Weiss." Yang spoke.</p><p>Ruby shook herself from her thoughts and nodded to her sister. Yang took a seat next to Ruby on the side of the road and pulled out her scroll. She dialed Weiss until her face popped up on the video chat.</p><p>"Hey, you two." Yang spoke. "How's it going there?"</p><p>"Okay, I guess. This monkey has a serious attitude problem though. Blake's using some... unorthodox methods to try and get him to talk." She finished, seemingly unsure.</p><p>"Oh, really?" Yang asked. "Like what?"</p><p>Weiss shook her head and sighed at what she as watching.</p><p>"Perhaps it'd be easier if I showed you." She responded.</p><p>She turned the camera to face Blake and Sun. Ruby and Yang watched in surprise at what they were seeing. Blake had Sun on the ground, still tied in Gambol Shroud, but she was stepping on his back and hitting him with... a whip?</p><p>Yang laughed evilly as Ruby was red in the face and more confused on how it had coe to this.</p><p>"WHAT ARE YOU?!"</p><p>SLAP.</p><p>"I'M A MONKEY!"</p><p>SLAP.</p><p>"LOUDER!"</p><p>SLAP.</p><p>"I'M A MONKEY I SAID!"</p><p>SLAP.</p><p>"YOU MEAN 'I'M A MONKEY, MA'AM!"</p><p>SLAP.</p><p>"I'M A MONKEY, MA'AM!" Sun finished with a slight cry.</p><p>Weiss pulled the camera away with a tinge of embarrassment on her face at what her partner was doing so indecently.</p><p>"Oh, that's amazing." Yang continued to laugh. "I guess she's re-enacting a scene from one of those books she's always reading."</p><p>"So, has he given up the location of Neptune's apartment yet?" Ruby asked.</p><p>Weiss shook her head. "No, he's stubbornly loyal. You both need to find them before they get there and can do anything with that footage, though. They threatened to show people at the school. We can't let them win."</p><p>"They won't." Ruby replied.</p><p>"Good. I'll let you know if he decides to speak up." Weiss stated.</p><p>'Wait!" Yang said. "Send us a picture of what she's doing. I have to have it!"</p><p>Weiss sighed at her friend and shook her head. Of course she did. She aimed the scroll at Sun and snapped an unpleasurable photo of him and sent it to both Ruby and Blake to have. They already ahd one of Ren, so what the hell was one more anyway?</p><p>"Over and out." Weiss spoke before hanging up.</p><p>Ruby heard her scroll go off with the picture message. Without wasting time, she pulled it while her sister continued her fit of laughter at her own photo. She went through her contacts and found Jaune. She clicked his name and began typing something with a smile. Once she finished, she pressed some buttons and placed the scroll back in her pocket before standing up.</p><p>Yang continued to laugh as Ruby offered a hand to her sister.</p><p>"Come on. We should keep looking for them." She stated.</p><p>"Right." Yang replied, taking her hand.</p><p>The two began to make their way up the road to their right as Jaune and Neptune watched from the bushes stealthily. Jaune heard his scroll ding quietly, causing Yang and Ruby to stop in their tracks. Neptune kept an eye on them as Jaune reached to his pocket and removed his scroll.</p><p>"Did you hear something?" Yang asked Ruby.</p><p>Jaune opened his phone and looked at what was sent to him from Ruby. His seat became heavier and his eyes bulged at what he was looking at. Neptune took a second to look away as he also looked at Jaune's phone. Their faces were same in complexion as they saw the photo that had been sent to Ruby and Yang.</p><p>Ruby had immediately forwarded Jaune a photo of Sun bound on the floor of Team RWBY's bedroom. He was sweaty and in pain as a boot, presumably Blake's foot, was in the small of his back applying pressure. Below the picture was a breath message that Ruby had attached to the picture.</p><p>'I'm not confident in my ability to tie rope like Blake, but I'm willing to give it a try later.'</p><p>"Yeah, it sounded like a scroll going off." Ruby finally answered her sister.</p><p>Neptune pulled his terrified face away from the phone to look out through the bushes one more time and see that Yang and Ruby were a decent distance away, but they knew they heard something. Without wasting anymore time, he pulled his keys from his pocket to the bike and handed them to jaune who was still caught up in his phone.</p><p>"They're nearby..." Yang commented, heading in the direction of the noise.</p><p>Jaune was slapped from his coma-like state by Neptune who pointed him to the bike next to them, silently ordering him to start it. He shook his head in disagreement, thinking they would be caught too quickly.</p><p>"Jaune, this is the only chance we'll get. They're coming." He whispered.</p><p>Ruby readied her Crescent Rose as Yang reloaded her Ember Celica. They walked in a prepared stance towards some bushes on the other side of the road. They moved slow and methodical, ready to take on what was there.</p><p>As they got closer, a bundle of shots was fired in their direction, causing them to dive out of the way. In that same instance, and engine starting could be heard, Ruby and Yang looked over in the direction of the shots and saw Jaune drive out on a motorcycle with Neptune in a passenger car. They peeled out on the road and began heading down the road in the opposite direction of the girls towards the city.</p><p>Yang fired a few shots from Ember Celica in their direction as Ruby activated her semblance in an attempt to catch them.</p><p>"Dodge left!" Neptune yelled.</p><p>Jaune moved to the left slightly at the command.</p><p>"Your other left!"</p><p>Jaune then nearly lost control moving to his right.</p><p>"Asshole, that's my right." Jaune yelled as the shots flew by his head.</p><p>"I'm turned around, so my directions are messed up!" Neptune yelled in defense.</p><p>Yang was left behind and out of range at this point, but Ruby was still pursuing with her speedy semblance. Jaune attempted to shake her as he drove down the empty road from the side of the mountain the school was on, but she was keeping on them.</p><p>"Neptune, I don't know how long I can keep this up! This part is all you bud."</p><p>"I'm trying! Just keep it steady!" Neptune replied.</p><p>Ruby was keeping pace, even gaining on them at this point. She didn't know how long she would be able to keep this up, but if she could just get close enough to stop the vehicle, she'd be able to stop them from getting away.</p><p>"I told you that there was no escape!" She yelled to Jaune.</p><p>He looked back at the girl that was gaining on them steadily. He returned his eyes to the road and raised his arm up for her to see and just as he did in the courtyard during the flight, proceeded to giver the middle finger, waving it back and forth in defiance.</p><p>Ruby's face flushed red with anger at his response. When I get a hold of him! She thought.</p><p>Her anger caused her to stop swaying around as she pursued them, opting to stay in a straight line instead. She was too focused on catching them and that's just the opportunity Neptune needed. Slowly and carefully from the passenger seat, he raised his Tri-Hard and took aim. Ruby was too focused on Jaune's hand than anything else.</p><p>Before she could react, he fired one shot that collided with her mid-semblance and stopped her in her tracks. She fell to the ground and tumbled down the road. Jaune and Neptune then took this time to get enough distance and before they knew it, they had turned a corner of the mountain and were heading directly into downtown Vale. The two began screaming and laughing as they floated in between all the empty traffic lanes.</p><p>"FUCK YEAH! NICE SHOT!" Jaune yelled.</p><p>"You know it! Let's get the hell out of here!"</p><p>They had escaped.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby rubbed her butt as she rolled over after taking a direct hit. Thank Oum for a protective aura or that could have hurt her in many different ways. She looked down the road she had been chasing the boys on and a frown adorned her face.</p><p>"Damn you, Jaune." She mumbled to herself.</p><p>She clucthed her fists as she stood up and kept staring into the scenery of a lit-up downtown Vale. She knew that she was not going to find them now and she needed time to heal after that.</p><p>"Oum as my witness, I'll find you tonight and then... you're mine." She spoke again.</p><p>"Ruby!" A voice from behind called.</p><p>Ruby turned around to see her sister running at her. She kept her frown on in a disappointing fashion as her sister approached her, out of breath from running.</p><p>"Yang... I'm sorry. They got away."</p><p>"Hey, don't sweat it, Rubes." Yang mouthed between breaths.</p><p>Ruby looked back at her in a confusing fashion. Why was she okay with that? They both just chased them halfway into the city. Yang looked up at her sister and smiled while holding her scroll in her face. Ruby examined the picture and looked at her sister in a confusing fashion.</p><p>"Uh... What am I looking at?" She asked Yang.</p><p>Yang laughed quietly. "You're looking at the end. Ruby... We've got them." She finished with a smile.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Key</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 13 – Key</p><p>Neptune smiled as Jaune and he cruised in the brisk open air of the night. The evening did not go as he had planned and there were casualties of war, but they could finally say that they won this battle, and once they processed the recording into a video file, they would win the war. If they could produce the copy they needed, they could bargain for the freedom of their teammates and possibly more.</p><p>Neptune rubbed the sides of his head trying to help himself relax. The constant turmoil of the night and the ups and downs had taken a toll on him. Before all things when he got back home, he was taking a shower.</p><p>He looked over himself and saw the mess he was. He had dirt all over his clothes, under his fingernails, and even in his hair. As much as he wasn't a fan of water, he was going to spend an awfully long time soaking his wounds of war.</p><p>His eyes drifted to Jaune who was still attempting to drive his bike and was giving it the good old college try. Jaune was the only reason he had made it out alive and wasn't also being interrogated like Ren and Sun. He would be sure to thank him properly after this was all over. He debated buying him breakfast but thought that after seeing his best friend covered in syrup, it might trigger a bit of PTSD.</p><p>"Hey Jaune." Neptune spoke.</p><p>"Yeah, what's up?" The blond replied.</p><p>"I'm sorry about this whole mess. I should have listened to you from the beginning. This turned into a huge disaster because I bit off more than I could chew and I dragged you all down with me."</p><p>"Oh, stop being a downer. You sound like Qrow." Jaune replied.</p><p>"Who?" Neptune asked.</p><p>"Never mind. Anyway, we chose to be a part of this. Ren, Sun, and I all foolishly got behind this and we could have said no at any time.</p><p>"But I-"</p><p>"But nothing. We can all make our own decisions. We picked wrong, but we stuck together. That's why they didn't sell out our home base."</p><p>Neptune smiled at the blonde's kind words. Befriending Ren and Jaune was one of the great things about coming to Vale. His teammates back home were great, but this is where he wanted to be after he graduated, and he was glad to have met the people he had.</p><p>Neptune looked back at the road they were traveling down. They had finally reached the downtown portion of Vale and were in the clear. Not one angry female was trailing them as far as they could see, and they weren't being tracked. The only thing left to do now was to avenge their fallen comrades and make RWBY suffer like they had. Revenge was going to be so sweet.</p><p>"Hey Jaune."</p><p>"What now?"</p><p>"Red light."</p><p>Jaune slammed the brakes suddenly causing them both to jerk forward to a simultaneous stop. The people in the cars around them as well as the civilians all stopped to look and shake their heads at him.</p><p>"I uhh... I knew that." Jaune chuckled, rubbing his head.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"Uh... What am I looking at?" She asked Yang.</p><p>Yang laughed quietly. "You're looking at the end. Ruby... We've got them." She finished with a smile.</p><p>Ruby was still confused by the picture she was looking at. It looked like a regular old plastic card. Did Yang bump her head when they rolled out of the way of Neptune's shots? Just another thing she could take out on Jaune later when she got her hands on him.</p><p>"So, what is that?" Ruby asked.</p><p>Yang smiled and lowered her phone in reply. "A spare."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Minutes earlier</p><p>Blake wiped her brow of sweat while she tried to catch her breath. She had been a bit of elbow grease into punishing the boy before her. She looked at the male Faunus before that was riddled with scratches, red marks, and bruises from her work out. He was semi-conscious with a look of pale death on his face. She had sent him through the ringer.</p><p>Across the room, Weiss was disturbed but, at the same time, oddly intrigued at her teammate's efforts. She was trying her best to make him break and give up the location of the apartment so they could track down the remaining violators of their personal space. This Blake was kind of scary though. Weiss could swear she saw a look of satisfaction and a... smile? Yes, a smile on her face as she continued to pummel the poor boy.</p><p>It wasn't often that Weiss felt remorse for stupid people. In fact, she usually didn't feel too bad for anyone that wasn't her closest friends, but watching Sun take the beating he was and staying sane, almost unfroze her cold heart. Almost. Then she remembered what he did, and all sympathy was forgotten. She doesn't know whether it was the booze or maybe Blake always had this side to her, but she didn't envy Sun in the slightest.</p><p>They make it seem so easy in the books and novels. Blake thought.</p><p>She sat back down on her bed and continued to catch her breath, massaging her sore wrist now with an irritated look on her face.</p><p>"Are you willing to tell us now?" She asked the beaten warrior.</p><p>Sun rolled to his back and breathed deeply. He was aching everywhere from Blake's actions and with his aura still broken, there didn't seem like there was much chance for defending himself let alone an escape. He looked back at her through his right eye, his left one closed as he continued mouth-breathing.</p><p>"I can tell you... it's in Vale." He replied with a smile.</p><p>"You're an asshole!" Blake shouted, rising to her feet again. "What is it going to take to get you to talk?!"</p><p>Sun wormed his way against Weiss's bed and leaned against it to support himself. He tried to free himself but knew it to be useless. The best he could do is stall.</p><p>"I have faith that they'll get the job done. As a team leader, I have to keep them safe from the enemy."</p><p>"An enemy you created." Weiss retorted. "Also, Jaune isn't a part of your team in case you forgot."</p><p>Sun smiled and shook his head at her attempts to persuade him further.</p><p>"For this battle, we are a team." he spoke boldly." An even then, we're friends. You can't expect me to sell them out. Maybe that's how Team RWBY would do things, but not us."</p><p>Blake snapped her whip in anger. Sun looked back at her and noticed her eyes filled with a fire. His stalling tactic was about to buy him another beating, but it was fine as long as he didn't let them win.</p><p>"Are you saying you think we would do that?!" Blake responded with a dark tone. "What you've done is inexcusable and now you sit her mocking us in our own room?!"</p><p>"To be fair, I didn't want to be here... also I'm not really sitting either it's more of an uncomfortable kneeling."</p><p>Blake knocked him to the floor with a sickening thud. She was done messing around with him. As he rolled to his stomach, she mounted him from behind with her whip in hand. She coiled it around his neck and began lightly choking him with it as she growled lightly. The whole thing seemed vulgar to Weiss who was looking on with a concerned stare. She averted her eyes when she could, but Sun's gasping was hard to ignore.</p><p>"I... knew you were a pervert... but... I didn't realize you were... into this kind of stuff... other than your books." Sun squeaked out in between her choking.</p><p>She dropped the whip immediately, granting him the ability to cough and catch his breath.</p><p>"P-P-P-Pervert?!" She questioned, as she fell backwards.</p><p>Sun looked back to see something he didn't think he would. Blake was covering her face for some reason. Sun was confused by her actions, but grateful she had seized her actions.</p><p>"Why would you call me that?" She protested.</p><p>Weiss and Sun looked at each other before looking back at Blake with a blank stare. Isn't it obvious? They thought in unison. Blake looked upset at the return both parties gave her. She wasn't the easiest to take criticism.</p><p>Shifting her embarrassment back to anger, she grabbed Sun by his hair and shoved his face into the floor of the bedroom. She growled again as she continued her attack on her fellow Faunus. Animal on animal crime was indeed a sad and scary thing.</p><p>"How dare you! How dare you! How dare you!" Blake yelled.</p><p>Sun whined as his face was continuously assaulted by the carpeting and wood beneath him. Weiss was impressed by Blake's ability to continue attacking but could see she her friend was doing it out of pure denial. Blake as good at hiding her emotions, but her choice reading material was something she could not let go.</p><p>Blake rose to her feet again and looked for her whip once more. She grabbed it from the floor where she left it and snapped it again before smacking him with it once. He yelped at the pain but continued his cocky smile before turning away from her. At this time, something caught his eye as he looked under one of the beds. Something... He didn't like.</p><p>"I'll do this all night if I have... What are you looking at?" Blake shifted her tone.</p><p>She noticed Sun's eyes go lifeless and his face grow pale. He was even ignoring her now? Strange. She thought. Usually he had some smart comeback to make her even angrier, but now he was stoically silent. She looked over at Weiss who seemed concerned as well but shrugged her shoulders in response.</p><p>Weiss walked over to Sun as he continued to stare.</p><p>Under the bed? She thought.</p><p>She crouched down next to him and peeked her head under the bed. She scanned underneath her bed looking to see what had him in such distress. At first, she saw nothing. She looked it over and over again, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. That's when she saw something on the far side against the wall. She crawled underneath looking to salvage whatever it was.</p><p>Reaching out she grabbed what it was and retreated out from under the bed. Once out, she looked at what was in her hand. A smile grazed her face as she brought it in close to herself.</p><p>"Snowflake!" Weiss yelled in happiness. "I haven't seen you in months!"</p><p>"Is that a doll?" Blake asked.</p><p>Weiss snuggled with the porcelain doll and held it close to herself. "It's a doll my sister gave me when I was young. I thought it was gone because I hadn't seen it so long. I'm glad I have it back."</p><p>Blake sweat-dropped at what she was watching The Ice Princess of Beacon Academy was hugging a cute little doll. She sighed at her friend before looking down at Sun again. His eyes were glued to the doll. The look of horror filled his eyes. She blinked a few times in surprise at his actions and looked back at the doll. The a another dark smile grew on her face.</p><p>"Hey, Weiss." Blake spoke.</p><p>Weiss stopped her coddling of the doll and looked over at her friend. She noticed the dark features and smile that were present on her face before responding.</p><p>"Y-Yes?"</p><p>"It seems our friend here isn't too fond of your doll."</p><p>Weiss looked down at Sun who still had the same pale look on his face. His eyes were attached to her 'Snowflake' and he wouldn't blink or look away. She crouched down as Sun tensed up slightly. Slowly, she brought the doll away from herself and moved it closer to his face.</p><p>"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He yelled in response.</p><p>Sun squirmed in his best efforts to back away from that disgusting thing. Tears filled his eyes as he shook in complete fear. He would not avert his gaze from the doll. Unfortunately, while preoccupied with such things, the other two girls formed a new plan of their own while snickering at the scared boy's antics.</p><p>"Sun," Blake began. "I thought you feared nothing and regretted less?" She mocked him.</p><p>"G-G-Get it away." He continued squirming.</p><p>Blake walked over and took the doll from Weiss. She reached closer and closer to Sun who was in full panic mode, almost weeping. He rolled as much as he could to get distance, but Blake's other hand was holding him in place. Weiss returned to her feet and laughed at the show before her. The great "Leader" of Team SSSN was terrified of a child's toy.</p><p>"It's evil! It wants my soul! Get it away!" He cried in protest.</p><p>Blake was full on laughing now. She was on the verge of tears herself, but different from those that Sun was expressing. She had to admit, similarly to what Nora had stated earlier about Ren, Sun's scared expression was quite captivating. It even reminded her of a scene from one of her books. Maybe she was a pervert? Who cares at this point.</p><p>She was having a great time. In fact, this was the best time she had all night. She was so into her cruel actions, she failed to notice that during all the squirming Sun was doing, something was slowly emerging from the front pocket on his shirt. It shone slightly in the room's lighting and was beginning to protrude more and more each time he moved.</p><p>Weiss noticed this as her friend continued torturing him. She raised an eyebrow at what it could be. She kept an eye on it until all his shaking finally knocked it free from his shirt and onto the floor. Again, neither Blake nor Sun noticed this as Weiss walked over and picked up what it was. She scanned it over after holding it up closer to her face.</p><p>A key? She thought.</p><p>"Hey, what's this?" Weiss spoke.</p><p>Blake dropped the doll to the ground and looked over at her friend. Sun's attention was drawn after the doll was removed and he looked to see what Weiss was talking about. His eyes were wide again and his sweat returned.</p><p>"What's what?" Blake asked.</p><p>"W-Where did you get that?" Sun also asked, seemingly unnerved.</p><p>"Why? What is it?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"It's nothing..." He stated, averting his gaze away from both girls.</p><p>Weiss and Blake smiled at each other again as Blake raised the doll up to his face, causing him to shriek in terror.</p><p>"TELL THEM WHAT IT IS OR I'LL CONSUME YOUR SOUL!" Blake spoke in a demonic voice.</p><p>"No! No! No! Dear Oum, no!" He cried.</p><p>"TELL THEM!" Blake continued, on the verge of laughter.</p><p>"It's a keycard!" He yelled.</p><p>Blake and Weiss's eyes grew large at his statement. Weiss flipped over the back of the card to see writing on it. It's an address... to a complex in downtown Vale. She thought.</p><p>"Now, please get the doll away!" Sun cried again.</p><p>"Blake..." Weiss began. "This is Neptune's spare key to his apartment."</p><p>Blake smiled at her friend's words. They still had a chance to get them if they somehow got off the grounds. Things were certainly looking up.</p><p>Weiss immediately walked to her scroll on the desk near the room entrance and called Yang. Yang relayed that Ruby was in pursuit of both boys after they took off on a motorcycle. Sun's attention was drawn to the conversation on the phone as he hung on every word. He saw the keycard in her hand and watched as she snapped a photo of it and sent it in a picture message to her other teammate.</p><p>"You suffered for nothing." Blake spoke with a satisfied cat smile.</p><p>She noticed the look of despair on Sun's face as he realized what was happening. He tried to ove against his restraints only for Blake to scare him with the doll again.</p><p>The conversation on the phone concluded as Weiss placed the scroll in her pocket. Blake watched as she walked to get a coat from their shared closet and put it on.</p><p>"Going somewhere?" Blake asked.</p><p>Weiss turned to the girl and offered her another smile. "I'm going to take care of this. I've asked Yang and Ruby to meet me at the address so we can finish this."</p><p>"So... uh, am I free to go now?" Sun asked. "After all, you have what you want now."</p><p>Weiss and Blake looked at each other and shared a laugh at the boy's attempt.</p><p>"You go on ahead, Weiss. I've got this." Blake told her.</p><p>Weiss blinked and smiled at the girls reply. Ohhhh. She thought.</p><p>"Okay then, Blake. I'll let you know when this is handled." Weiss answered while walking out the door. She turned one last time after exiting and shot a cocky smile at Sun who was still pale in the face.</p><p>The door clicked behind her and left the room in silence. Sun was disturbed by Blake's quiet. Sure, she was known to be the least talkative of her team, but this was uncomfortable. Blake's eyes remained on the door her friend just exited. Sun decided he would try his best to inch away at a slow and careful pace.</p><p>He knew it wouldn't amount to much, but he had to at least try. On first movement, an out-stretched arm grabbed him by the shirt. His eyes darted back to the girl was now looking down on him with yet another wicked smile.</p><p>"Going somewhere?" She questioned.</p><p>"I.. Uh... I think the interrogation is over, right?" Sun asked while he continued to sweat. "You don't need me anymore. I sure learned my lesson, let me tell you." He concluded, while trying to nervously laugh at the situation.</p><p>She snorted a laugh at his efforts. "Oh, please. You had your chance to make this as gentle as possible and you mocked me all night long until the very end. You think I'm just going to forget that? Then you called me a pervert of all things."</p><p>"I figured after all this we'd be even?"</p><p>Blake sighed at his response before standing up. She walked over to the bedroom door and locked it. The noise was loud to Sun and it reverberated throughout the room. He gulped as she returned to his side before picking him up her weapon and throwing him on her mattress.</p><p>It was soft and it definitely beat the floor, but he wasn't comfortable by any means. He looked back at her as she picked up the doll before placing it on her bedside stand.</p><p>"Wh-What are you doing?" He asked.</p><p>"Getting even." She replied as she sat down on her bed once more.</p><p>"Now listen, Blake... This is a bit too much."</p><p>"Keep begging."</p><p>"You are a pervert."</p><p>She laughed at his accusations much to his chagrin. He had hoped to psych her out again to break this uncomfortable feeling he was having. Somehow, he preferred the doll to this new danger, and wished that Weiss would return. Hell, he'd take the whippings again at this point.</p><p>She picked up one of her novels from her bedside stand and he watched her bring it to her face and scan the pages before looking over at him. "maybe, I am." She replied with a confident smile.</p><p>Channeling his inner-Jaune, Sun spoke his mind at that moment.</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo The tale of Sun has ended. OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>"A spare?" Ruby questioned.</p><p>Yang nodded her head in response. "A spare key to Neptune's apartment. Sun had one on him all along apparently."</p><p>Ruby was shocked by the statement, but still happy none the less. Their efforts hadn't been for nothing and they could still finish this without the boys being any the wiser.</p><p>"So, what next?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Weiss is coming to meet us at the address on the card. Once that's done, we just have to find the apartment number and we've got them."</p><p>"Then we better act fast before they can start decrypting the data on that video."</p><p>"I agree. I'll go get my bike. You wait here for Weiss."</p><p>"Right."</p><p>Yang ran off in the direction of the school's lot where she kept her bike. Ruby watched as her sister disappeared into the distance before walking over to the side of the road. She sat down on the cement paving a laid out for a second. She was tired, sore, and her head kind of hurt.</p><p>"Is this a hangover? This shit hurts. Why do people drink again?" She spoke to herself.</p><p>The effects of the drink had all but subsided and she believed that she and the other girls were fine to fight at this point. Their buzzed and drunken states should all be gone by now, minus Pyrrha of course. Wherever she was...</p><p>Ruby stretched and sat up to be sure she was ready for what was next to come.</p><p>"You're not getting away this time. No matter what." She spoke.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune sneezed loudly as he parked the motorcycle. He snorted and wiped his face to be sure he didn't have any nose drippings.</p><p>"Bless you there, buddy." Neptune spoke as he walked up to his apartment building.</p><p>"Thanks." Jaune replied.</p><p>They walked into the nice building past the staff and concierge. They continued down the corridor and to an elevator. Stepping on, they rode it up to the fifth-floor apartments before exiting. They made their way to the far end of the building and stopped before a door. Once there, Neptune took out his keycard and inserted into the reader on the door and both boys walked inside, closing the door behind them.</p><p>They both sighed as Neptune locked the door securely behind them, purely out of paranoia. He then walked over to the couch and slumped into a seat. Jaune did the same.</p><p>"What a night. Thank Oum it's over." Jaune stated.</p><p>But it wasn't over.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 14 – Search</p><p>Weiss made her way out of the dorms at Beacon Academy. She was en route to meet with both Ruby and Yang to finish this. Sun having a key was a lucky break for them and had they not been able to acquire it, things may have turned out differently. She smiled at her fortune and at the thought of what was going to be Neptune and Jaune's fate.</p><p>They had disassembled the crew and now they were going for the head. Once they've been handled, she and the others can dispose of any evidence of their nighttime activities and put</p><p>As she approached the parking lot, she saw Yang moving towards her bike that was parked in one of the student parking spaces. She waved to get her attention as she ran over to her.</p><p>"Hey, Yang." Weiss spoke.</p><p>"Hey, Weiss. I can't believe you actually managed to get something out of the monkey." Yang replied.</p><p>Weiss nodded at her friend and reached into her pocket. She retrieved the keycard and showed it to Yang who replied with a smile.</p><p>"Oh, I can't wait to see the look on their faces when we kick his door in." Yang replied in an excited manner.</p><p>"Me neither. We have to move quickly though. They could be working on editing and uploading their video of us as we-"</p><p>Before she could finish that sentence, Weiss was interrupted by the sound of her scroll going off. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled it out. She was shocked to see the name of the caller as Yang looked at her with a questioning eyebrow raised.</p><p>"It's... Neptune?" She spoke.</p><p>"You should answer that." Yang spoke hesitantly.</p><p>She knew she should, but she was afraid that they had already processed the video and uploaded it. That would put an end to their plans already. Weiss took a deep breath and pressed the TALK button. "Hello?" She questioned.</p><p>"Hey, Babe!" A voice yelled across the phone.</p><p>This immediately made Weiss growl in anger. That voice and that tone and his casual informality bugged her to no end.</p><p>"What do you want, asshole?" She replied.</p><p>"Woah, that's no way for a lady such as yourself to speak!" He replied with sarcasm present. "A noble woman should speak with elegance and class."</p><p>"And, again, I ask you, what do you want, asshole?" She replied flatly.</p><p>He sighed over the speaker at her attitude. "All right, fine." He started. "I want my friends returned safe and sound immediately. Otherwise, I'm going to send copies of everything we have on my camera to anyone and everyone I can."</p><p>Weiss and Yang were silent at the blue-haired boys demands. They knew they didn't have much of an option. That video could and would humiliate them just a short while before graduation and though they doubted they would be expelled just based on their merit alone, the staff at Beacon (especially Goodwitch) would make their life hell.</p><p>The two looked at each other and Yang gave a small nod towards her. She then walked over to her bike and moved it away from Weiss so he wouldn't hear her starting the vehicle.</p><p>"How do we know you'll destroy the evidence when we hand them over?" Weiss asked, attempting to stall for some time.</p><p>"I guess you won't." He answered simply. "But we know what will happen if you don't. They've suffered enough haven't they?"</p><p>"Ren maybe, but I think Sun's just getting started."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Err... What I meant to say is, they're suffering because of you. You shouldn't be the one getting off scott-free here."</p><p>Neptune paused for a moment at her words. His hands were dirty, that was true. His actions indirectly led to both Ren and Sun's predicament, but his actions now were about saving them. He was willing to destroy what he had set out to do for their safe return.</p><p>"You... may be right. But what I am doing now is what needs to be done."</p><p>"What needs to be done is you take your punishment like a man."</p><p>"I think I'll pass. Release them and I'll have Jaune get them from the pier downtown." He spoke.</p><p>"I'll need some time..." She spoke. "We're looking for Pyrrha right now. Give me two hours to get everyone caught up to speed."</p><p>"Two hours. Pier." He concluded before hanging up.</p><p>Weiss looked down at her scroll. Her lie had bought them some time. If they could track down this address and get to Neptune's apartment prior to that time, they could get them. Staying quiet about having the spare key was the right choice at this time. She could have threatened to come and beat him to within an inch of his life, but that might not work out well with them holding that video.</p><p>Her heart was beating fast as she took a breath to calm herself. She heard Yang rev her motorcycle behind her. She put on a confident face as she walked over to her teammate. She opted to get in the modified sidecar that Yang had put on rather than ride holding onto her. Ruby can take the one without seatbelts. She thought.</p><p>Weiss wasn't used to being in this death trap and was uncomfortable with it. She looked around and found a helmet before quickly strapping it onto her head.</p><p>"All right, let's go get Ruby!" Yang yelled as she sped out of the school's lot.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune ended the call and placed his scroll on the table next to him.</p><p>I am so cool. He thought to himself.</p><p>He was proud of how in control he was of that conversation. He held all the cards when it came to what happened next and he did well to remind them of that. He was going to redeem himself for tonight and he was sure of that at least.</p><p>He breathed deeply as he remained on the couch, he had sunk into upon returning with Jaune. Being able to relax had made him realize how sore and tired he was. More than that, he noticed how gross he was. He looked over himself and remembered the one thing he wanted most when he got home. Shower.</p><p>He stood up from slowly from the couch and ignored Jaune was he made his way out of the living room and towards the hallway without a word.</p><p>"Hey, buddy." Jaune commented. "You okay?" Why does this feel like deja vu? He thought to himself.</p><p>Neptune looked back at him with tired eyes and offered a smile before speaking. "Shower." He muttered before continuing down the hallway.</p><p>"Okay." Jaune commented. Definitely déjà vu.</p><p>Jaune listened as he heard a door close at the far end of the hallway. Moments later he heard the water begin to run and knew that Neptune was serious. He sighed as he relaxed on the couch. His thoughts drifted onto Ren and Sun. He hoped they were okay and nothing indecent was happening to them (A/N: HA!). He was glad to know they accepted the offer and was going to be ready for the exchange.</p><p>Speaking of which, shouldn't Neptune be uploading and converting the video file instead of showering? Sure, they had escaped the school and were free of any females, but they probably shouldn't be sitting around. Jaune thought maybe he could do it, but he didn't know where the camera-car was to even do it.</p><p>Screw it. He thought. Surely Neptune knew what he was doing by this point. After he finished his shower, they would work on the video file and then he would march to the pier and re-claim his friends thereafter. He wasn't about to call it revenge when they were the ones that started it, but he was going to make sure they walked out winners and this night would be behind them forever. The healing for the other two could begin then.</p><p>Jaune stretched out as he thought of victory. That's when realized one thing. He hadn't eaten.</p><p>Jaune's stomach growled loudly as it shook him from his thoughts. It continued for minutes as he sat there annoyed. Betrayed by my stomach. He thought. He was comfortable where he was but decided to get up and help himself to Neptune's kitchen.</p><p>He walked over to the cabinets and opened them to find something truly disgusting. Energy bars. Jaune made his way to the fridge to see it also had nothing good in it. Milk, a gallon of water, half a sandwich, is that prune juice? What is he ninety? He thought.</p><p>Jaune closed the fridge in disgust. He knew Neptune was somewhat of a health nut, but he could also tell he was a bachelor by how empty his kitchen was. He shook his head and gave a sigh in annoyance. What he would give for some junk food to quell his soul. This settled it, he was going out!</p><p>He pulled out his wallet and counted his money while smiling. Jaune had worked hard to save money while he was in school so he could get his own place in Vale after graduating. He was going to get a place similar to Neptune and start his career as a Huntsman here as he made a name of himself. That being said, yes, he had enough to get a pizza.</p><p>"I should ask Neptune if he wants something." Jaune spoke to himself.</p><p>He made his way down the hallway to the bathroom. He knocked twice on the door and waited for Neptune to answer.</p><p>"You can have it once I'm done." Neptune replied to the knocking.</p><p>"No, I'm good." Jaune answered. "I'm going to run out and get a pizza. Did you want anything?"</p><p>"I'm good with that. If you're thirsty I got some prune juice in the fridge." He answered.</p><p>"I'm good buddy, my kidneys aren't failing."</p><p>"What?" Neptune replied as the running water was too loud for him to hear Jaune's response.</p><p>"I said I'm okay. Anyway, I'll be heading out. I'll be back in a few."</p><p>"Sounds good. I'll get started on the video file once I'm out."</p><p>"Right." Jaune finished.</p><p>Jaune turned around and made his way back towards the front of the apartment. He looked around to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind before walking towards the door. He exited the apartment realizing he didn't have a spare key to get back in but shrugged at the thought. I'll be back shortly so he'll hear me knocking. He thought.</p><p>Jaune pulled out his scroll and began searching for places that were open and selling food this late as he made his way down the corridor to the elevator. He stepped on and pressed the button to go down. As he reached the ground floor, he found an interesting restaurant. Neo's Pizza. Again, no points for creativity.</p><p>The doors opened and he started his GPS on his scroll to take him to the destination. He smiled as he walked out the front doors of the apartment complex and strolled down the street in downtown Vale en route to get his food.</p><p>"Now this is how Friday is meant to be spent."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Weiss, Yang, and Ruby sped through the downtown streets. After picking Ruby up, they wasted little time in heading to their destination. They admired the lights of the city as they passed by all the different scenery. This wasn't their first time here by any means but getting to leave campus and be there was always exciting.</p><p>They approached a red light and came to a stop. Weiss was still in the side car and still unhappy about Yang's reckless driving. Yang was piloting and Ruby was sitting behind her, keeping her arms around her sister to secure herself to the bike safely. She loved getting the chance to ride with her sister and speeding whenever they could, much to Weiss's dismay.</p><p>"How much further?" Yang asked Weiss.</p><p>Weiss pulled up her GPS from her own scroll and looked at the map. "We're not far. Keep following this road and make a left in another 2 kilometers onto Salem Street."</p><p>The light turned green and Yang sped through the intersection.</p><p>"Faster! Faster!" Ruby yelled.</p><p>"I think I'm going to throw up." Weiss replied.</p><p>Yang cut their drive time down as she normally did with her driving. A few minutes later they had arrived in front of a large apartment complex. They stared up at it. Looked about five floors but it had a decent amount of rooms inside. They were not going to have time to check them all.</p><p>Weiss exited the vehicle and tried not to fall over as her legs felt like jelly from the ride. Ruby jumped off and smiled at her white-haired best friend who gave a weak smile in return. Yang hopped off the bike and moved it into a side alley. They were unsure which room belonged to Neptune and thought it best not to leave the bike in the open and be seen.</p><p>They all reconvened in the alleyway near the building and watched the front entrance. It was getting later now, 11:23 to be exact. Nearly an hour had passed since Weiss agreed to meet up and exchange the prisoners for the video, so time was slowly ticking away.</p><p>"So how do we do this?" Ruby questioned.</p><p>"We can't just go door to door. Why don't we just wait here until they leave?" Yang asked.</p><p>Weiss shook her head. "Not good either. Neptune said Jaune would be doing the exchange and if we nab him alone, Neptune might be keeping tabs somehow."</p><p>"You're really paranoid now, huh?" Yang asked.</p><p>"I won't let that jerk win!" Weiss nearly yelled.</p><p>Ruby and Yang laughed at her response. Weiss was embarrassed by her own outburst but stuck by what she said. He had disrespected her al night and he was going to pay for it. She peeked her head from the alley once more and watched the apartment complex. Maybe she could-</p><p>Suddenly a loud crash was heard and all three girls. Though startled, turned down the alley in the opposite direction where the noise was coming from. All three watched as a horde of screaming people fled down the street. They noticed that some of them were stained with blood.</p><p>As the crowd thinned out, they could see a bald, middle-aged man stumble as he walked slowly. They assumed this person to be the perpetrator of the attack. They cursed their luck but knew they were obligated to stop this man from hurting the general public. Ruby readied her weapon as Weiss reached for hers and Yang kept eyes on the man.</p><p>They were surprised to see the man collapse to his knees and slump to the ground. They watched as he began to weep openly and start to crawl in the same direction as the others.</p><p>"It's a monster! Worse than any Grimm! Someone please kill it!" He yelled.</p><p>The girls readied their weapons and charged in the direction of the crying man. As they approached him, they saw a hand reach out and grab him by the ankle and drag him backwards as he screamed in agony. They watched as he was dragged around the corner out of sight and dashed to his rescue. The group of soon-to-be-Huntresses turned the corner and saw something they were not expecting.</p><p>"SAY I'M YOUR MOMMA!"</p><p>"P-Please, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"</p><p>A snap and crunch of the man's arm could be heard.</p><p>"SAY I'M YOUR MOMMA!"</p><p>All three girls stood there in utter confusion as they watched Pyrrha break this crying, muscular man into two. Tears flowed from his eyes as she twisted and contorted his body.</p><p>"You're my momma! I'm sorry! I like Pumpkin Pete's I swear!" He pleaded.</p><p>She released his arms as he continued to openly cry and roll into a ball holding himself tightly. He gripped his arm, rubbing it vigorously to try and reduce the pain and help with blood flow.</p><p>"That's right you do." She commented before spiting next to him. "Now run away like your friends."</p><p>He helped himself to his feet gingerly and tried his best to run off in the direction of the crowd that had run by earlier as the members of Team RWBY continued to look on.</p><p>"Do we even want to know?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"This drunk bitch." Yang commented before facepalming.</p><p>Pyrrha took yet another sip from the seemingly unending bottle that she had stolen from the room earlier and belched loudly. Her attention then turned to her three friends that were standing by in the alley. She froze momentarily as she maintained eye contact with Yang who kept a look of annoyance plastered on her face.</p><p>Pyrrha began to back away slowly as she eyed up the street behind her.</p><p>"Don't..." Ruby mouthed at her.</p><p>Pyrrha continued slowly stepping backwards until she was almost out of view of the alleyway where the three were standing, still keeping the stoic look on her face and maintaining eye contact.</p><p>"Pyrrha, don't you-"</p><p>But it was too late. Pyrrha suddenly turned away and began to sprint away from where they were, knocking over trashcans in a feeble attempt to slow them.</p><p>"Oum damn it." Yang muttered.</p><p>"We don't have time for this." Weiss commented. "You both go after that lunatic and I'll get inside the complex."</p><p>Yang sighed and smacked her fists together. "Yeah, I'm going to kick her ass."</p><p>"Once you get what we need, give us a call. Hopefully we'll have Pyrrha under control by then." Ruby spoke.</p><p>In a dash, both sisters made their way down the alley to pursue their drunk friend before she caused any more damage within the city. Weiss rubbed her head as the two disappeared. She began making her way back towards the apartment complex. She covered her face with her jacket hood and stepped out onto the street, heading toward the building's direction.</p><p>She walked up the front steps and into the front lobby. The place seemed like a hotel more than an apartment complex. It was fancy and well-lit. There were staff everywhere even this late into the night that kept busy cleaning and directing tenants as needed.</p><p>Weiss walked past the lobby area and towards the front desk. There was a younger girl who was waiting there and filing her nails. She seemed to be in her late teens or early twenties. She had long blond hair and blue eyes. She seemed preoccupied with herself as Weiss approached the desk. She stood there for a few seconds as she was seemingly ignored before speaking.</p><p>"E-Excuse me." Weiss commented.</p><p>The young girl looked up at her nails with a dull look in her eyes as almost to say 'Why are you bothering me?' She sighed as she sat up from her leaning position and looked at Weiss directly.</p><p>"Yes, can I help you?" She asked casually.</p><p>Weiss could already feel uncomfortable in this situation. The tone and arrogance of this woman was getting to her, but she needed to not cause a scene.</p><p>"Hi." Weiss spoke with a smile. "I'm meeting someone here and I forgot what room they are in."</p><p>She continued to look at Weiss with the same look as she raised an eyebrow and began chewing her gum.</p><p>"Yeah? So, what do you want me to do about it?"</p><p>This bitch. Weiss thought to herself.</p><p>"I was wondering if you could tell me what room they're in? I have the keycard here."</p><p>Weiss reached into her coat pocket and retrieved the key and handed it over to the girl. The girl sighed and took it from her as she scanned it in her card reader. There was an awkward silence as Weiss kept her eyes on the girl who was now staring at the computer.</p><p>"Oh!" The girl said with a smile. "It's Neppy's keycard."</p><p>Neppy?</p><p>"Uh, yeah." Weiss replied. "He told me to head over and I forgot what room he was in."</p><p>"Couldn't you have just called him?" She asked flatly.</p><p>"He wasn't answering his scroll so I-"</p><p>"Oh, I have his number." She smiled. "Let me give him a call."</p><p>She does? Who was this bitch?</p><p>The girl reached into a drawer on her desk and pulled out her scroll. She giggled like a schoolgirl as she searched her contacts looking for his number which irritated Weiss further. Apparently, Neptune liked to befriend girls with blond hair, blow eyes, big boobs and an even bigger attitude.</p><p>"I got his number right here." The girl claimed as she showed it off to her almost mockingly.</p><p>"Yeah, that's him." Weiss replied. "But he knows I'm coming so you don't need to call him. I just need to know what room he's in."</p><p>"How do I know you aren't some stalkerish ex-girlfriend?" The girl asked.</p><p>"Excuse me?" Weiss replied with anger now present in her voice. Oh, this bitch is going to get it. "You don't even know me."</p><p>"Should I?" The girl asked.</p><p>"My name is Weiss Schnee, heir to the Schnee company in Atlas. I'm a soon-to-be Beacon graduate and future Huntress. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your call."</p><p>"Uh... oh." The girl stated seemingly apologetic now. "Schnee, huh? S-Sorry about that."</p><p>The girl read the card again in the machine before handing it back to her not meeting her gaze. "H-He's in room 515. Take the elevator to the fifth floor and make a right off the elevator. Last door on the right."</p><p>Weiss took the card back from her and nodded her head before walking in the direction of the elevators as she mumbled quietly to herself.</p><p>"That's what I thought, bitch."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune exited his room after showering off. He felt like a brand-new man after finally getting cleaned up as he wiped his face with a clean towel. He was dawning his robe and slippers as he made his way down the hallway to the living room, dumping the now used towel into the laundry bin.</p><p>He looked around to see that Jaune had not returned yet from getting food and simply shrugged. He made his way into the living room to where his computer was and powered it on.</p><p>"I guess I should get started on uploading the video." He spoke to himself.</p><p>He looked over at the clock and saw a little over an hour had passed since he spoke to Weiss about meeting up and so he needed to get this done quickly. Even if he didn't edit it, he just needed to upload the video and make a copy. Yes, he agreed to give them the only version, but he had to be sure to have extra insurance in case they decided to take Jaune captive during the exchange.</p><p>He realized he had to head back to his room and get the camera-car from his old clothes. He walked back in that direction pulled his clothes from the dirty bin he tossed them in. He reached his hands in each pocket of his pants. Nothing.</p><p>The fuck? He thought.</p><p>He went into panic mode as he started ripping clothes from the dirty bin and scattering them all over his floor in search of the small car. He found nothing. He shook the bin and watched as nothing fell from it. This was not good. He fell to the floor in disbelief holding his head in a cradled position.</p><p>"Where is it? Did it fall out when we ran away? Where-"</p><p>That's when he remembered.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Flashback</p><p>Yang chuckled at her sister's comments. Jaune and Neptune watch from the bushes across the street at the two, waiting for them to move. Neptune looked down at his hand at the camera-car. He knew if things went badly, Jaune was in better shape to get away and couldn't risk this being taken away again. Without making a sound, he placed the object in Jaune's pocket with him none the wiser.</p><p>Neptune knew it was an underhanded trick, but he couldn't let Sun or Ren's sacrifices be for nothing. He was willing to do the same if it came to it, though he could only wonder what would be in store for him.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune leaned back against his wall and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Oum. He thought to himself. Of course, he now had to wait until Jaune returned from the store before he could do anything, but at least he knew where the equipment was.</p><p>He stood up and placed all the dirty clothes back into his bin and walked back out to the living room area. He shrugged to himself and decided to sit back on his couch and kick his feet up.</p><p>"I'll just relax until he gets back." He spoke to himself again.</p><p>He turned on his television and began flipping through channels as he yawned. The long night was almost over and then he could rest. He sat there for a few minutes as he heard his door open and close behind him. He assumed Jaune had returned with his food finally and sighed. Break time was apparently over.</p><p>"Hey, Jaune. Was wondering when you would get back. We got some work to do." He spoke.</p><p>He heard footsteps behind him but there was no answer to his statement. He thought nothing of it as he continued flipping through the channels. The footsteps approached him from behind him and suddenly stopped. A soft hand touched his right shoulder and lightly massaged it as he sat there. He couldn't deny it felt great after a long night, but this was a little too weird.</p><p>"Hey, buddy..." Neptune spoke as he slowly looked behind himself. "I told you before, I'm into girl-"</p><p>That's when he saw the dark smile of a white-haired girl that he had not been expecting. Her massage turned into a tight grip on his shoulder as his face turned ghostly white.</p><p>"Hey, Babe." She spoke with that same dark smile.</p><p>There was a short silence between them as Neptune and Weiss had a continuous stare before he spoke.</p><p>"Fuck."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Pursuit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 15 – Pursuit</p><p>Jaune was the happiest he'd been in the last twenty-four hours. He had a big drink, fresh pizza, and not a care in the world right now. He stood in the corner pizza parlor of downtown Vale as he paid for the food. He smiled as the cute cashier took his money and gave his change. She offered a smile and playful wink at him as he gathered everything.</p><p>He exited the store with the same smile. The streets were still lit up and even in the late hours, people were still making their way around the city on the late Friday evening. Jaune knew once he graduated this is where he wanted to be and would try to get an apartment soon after finding work as a licensed Huntsman.</p><p>As he walked through the cool summer air, he could smell his hot pizza in the box he was holding. The warmth from the box spread to his hands and his anticipation grew. I am so going to eat this whole thing. He thought.</p><p>"I can't wait for Neptune to see this baby." He spoke aloud.</p><p>He wished he could share it with Ren and Sun, but maybe he'd be generous and save them each a slice after he retrieved them shortly. Then again, maybe he wouldn't. He'd have to see exactly how delicious this pie was.</p><p>Yes, for as crazy as the night had been and with everything that had happened, he never thought he'd find himself here and now. Fate sure had a sense of humor. He went from being licked to about to be doing the licking... on this pizza. Finally, things were starting to look up and-</p><p>"LEAVE ME ALONE! I JUST WANT TO BE FREEEEEEE!"</p><p>Jaune stopped in his tracks at that voice. He remained stoically calm, almost as if what he was hearing wasn't real. His smile was still present, but the voice had startled him. He peered off to his left and confirmed his suspicions. Across the road was Pyrrha drunkenly staggering and attempting to run from something behind her.</p><p>"Get back here!" Another voice yelled.</p><p>This voice made Jaune's smile drop immediately. He knew that voice as well. It was something he was not prepared for. He watched as both Ruby and Yang chased the girl down the street. He continued to remain still as he watched this, almost as if he was just trying to blend in with the background. He watched as Ruby used her semblance to speed up and tackle Pyrrha to the ground and hold her in place.</p><p>"LET ME GO! YOU FOOLISH MORTALS!" She continued yelling.</p><p>"Pyrrha, for Oum's sake we're in a public place." Yang Spoke, looking around at the gazing eyes.</p><p>She continued her struggles and screams as Jaune watched from afar. His body still paralyzed in disbelief and fear of what he was seeing. At first, he thought it coincidence that they were here in Vale when they should be getting ready to meet with him shortly on the docks, but he had a disturbing feeling down in his gut that wasn't just hunger.</p><p>Without making a scene, he tiptoed backwards into an alley adjacent from where they were. He placed his food down on an air-conditioning unit that was next to him and reached into his pocket for his scroll. That's when he noticed something else was present. He felt the object in his hand and pulled it out.</p><p>"Is that the camera-car?" He asked himself. "How did that get in my pocket?"</p><p>He stared for a few seconds before placing it back into his pocket. He was curious how it got there but he had an important call to make first. He pulled his scroll out and found Neptune in his contacts. He dialed the number and waited for him to pick up.</p><p>But it just kept ringing. He hung up and tried again. Nothing. His worries were becoming greater now. Maybe it was just his paranoia, but were they also looking for them? There's no way Neptune could have been caught unless Ren or Sun spoke, which they would never do.</p><p>Jaune peeked out from around the corner of the alleyway to watch Yang and Ruby still trying to subdue a wild Pyrrha. He opened his box of pizza and decided to take a slice as he didn't want his food to get too cold waiting for them to move from where they were. He needed to get back to the apartment without being seen though, that was for sure.</p><p>He chewed his food as he continued to watch. Pyrrha was openly crying in the middle of the street at midnight on a Friday evening as her two friends tried to "rescue" her from herself and her destructive ways. What the hell is in that bottle? He thought as he enjoyed the cheesy goodness of his pizza. How he wished he could truly enjoy his food, but the looming threat across the street prevented that.</p><p>"Enough already woman! Just relax and let us take you home." Yang yelled even more annoyed at her friend.</p><p>"You're not my mother." Pyrrha replied.</p><p>"Yeah, Thank Oum because I'd beat your ass."</p><p>"Yeah, Thank Oum because I'd beat your ass." Pyrrha replied.</p><p>"Are... Are you copying me?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Are... Are you copying me?"</p><p>"What are you five?"</p><p>"What are you five?"</p><p>"I think I'm going to kill her..." Yang muttered low enough for Ruby to hear.</p><p>Ruby stood up while still having a decent grip on Pyrrha. She tried her best to keep her hands away from Pyrrha's mouth because she was trying everything else to get free. The redhead was nearly foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal that had been caged.</p><p>Jaune thought the scene to be a little humorous, especially from where he stood. He'd have preferred to never have seen it at all, but at least he was at a nice, safe dist-</p><p>Why is Pyrrha staring at me? He thought. She's drunk, there's no way she actually...</p><p>Stare. Stare. Stare.</p><p>"Hey Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled from across the street at the far end of the corner. It was as if her whole personality changed, and she forgot everything that was going on.</p><p>He stood there completely dumbfounded at how she could even see from that distance. Actually, annoyed might have been a better word. He watched as Yang and Ruby turned their heads and squinted in his direction to see where she was looking. That's when they spotted him too.</p><p>Stare. Stare. Stare.</p><p>Jaune was first to react. He slowly pulled himself back into the alleyway before grabbing his pizza. He then stood still for a few seconds and dashed down the alleyway.</p><p>"Yang! Don't let him get away!" Ruby yelled. "He might alert Neptune before Weiss gets to the room!"</p><p>Yang nodded at her sister and dashed off in Jaune's direction. Ruby stood there once again trying to maintain her death grip of Pyrrha as she struggled to get free, returning to the wild animal form from only moments earlier.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune ran awkwardly with his food down the alleyway before hanging a right onto a side street. From behind him, he noticed yellow hair which was more than enough to confirm his suspicions. They were here looking for us. He thought.</p><p>"I've got to shake them. I can't allow them to follow me back to Neptune's apartment." He stated.</p><p>He made his way down the empty side street with the sound of someone running behind him becoming more evident. Juggling food while attempting to run was turning out to be a huge problem, but he wasn't about to give up his dinner. Jaune kept at a steady pace as he tried to get distance. In a battle of stamina, he knew he had Yang beat, but being able to shake her off long enough to get away may prove difficult.</p><p>He moved with a determined pace as he looked over his shoulder. Yang had him in her sights and she was focused on detaining him. He could not risk a brawl with her here. It would only end with his inevitable demise or capture. Running was the only way. He looked back at her again as he continued his running.</p><p>"I guess a pizza bribe is out of the question?" He asked her.</p><p>"Not on your life, Jaune."</p><p>"I'd assume you of all people would have understood what we did and seen it as funny, Yang. There's no need for all this violence."</p><p>"You're right. Why don't you stop running and we hug it out?"</p><p>"Sorry, but I don't have intention of being caught now. As you can see, I have a dinner date, and you're preventing me from enjoying it."</p><p>Jaune turned the corner again, attempting to break away down another alley. As he made his way through the dark alley, he noticed a fire escape. If he could not escape her from keeping on him, maybe he would have to improvise a plan of his own.</p><p>"Your night is over!" Yang yelled as she turned the corner.</p><p>She saw him toss his pizza stories high, landing on the roof above. He then made a break for the fire escape and began climbing the first ladder. Yang smiled at his desperation. Oh, please. She thought. She made a running jump, catching the bottom rung of the ladder. She looked up to see Jaune making his way up to the next story.</p><p>She climbed quickly, making sure to keep at a pace with him. The metal structure squeaked with their weight and shook with each movement. It was obvious that it wasn't used often and had been poorly maintained. That being said, Jaune and Yang continued their climb, paying no attention to the structure and its movements.</p><p>Jaune scaled the final set of stairs to the rooftop, checking to see where Yang was. She was close now, as close as she had come yet. He cleared the hurdle onto the roof. Scanning the area, he grabbed his pizza box and opened it. He grimaced as he looked at his dinner. Hope this works. He thought.</p><p>Moments later Yang approached the top of the of the fire escape and looked over the concrete barrier to the roof. She stared in disbelief as he chewed on a slice of pizza and waited for her to meet him. He had no emotion on his face as he chewed slowly while she stood there.</p><p>"What are you..."</p><p>"I give up."</p><p>Yang couldn't believe what she was hearing now. "I'm sorry, you... what?"</p><p>Jaune swallowed his food prior to speaking. "I said I give up. I'm tired of running and I want to enjoy my food."</p><p>He took a seat as she continued to be motionless. He' seriously not going to fight me, isn't he? She thought to herself. He reached into the box again as she began to vault the wall slowly. That's when she noticed a smile on his face as she put one leg up on the wall.</p><p>"Why are you smiling like th-"</p><p>She never finished the statement as she slipped backwards onto the fire escape, losing her footing. She landed on her rear end against the railing of the fire escape as it shook with a mighty force. As she looked up from her seated position, she could see that Jaune was standing on the other side of the wall now and still smiling.</p><p>"Pizza grease sure is slippery, isn't it?"</p><p>Her eyes went wide as Jaune lifted his leg and kicked the fire escape with all his strength. The result was the fire escape becoming unhinged from the building and begin to tilt. Before she could react, Yang and the entirety of the structure faltered and began to collapse to the ground. Yang was defeated by cheesy, delicious pizza grease.</p><p>"Damn you, Jaune!" Yang yelled as she continued her descent to the ground.</p><p>The metal clanked loudly against the ground and shattered. An aura was something Yang could be thankful for, as she was protected against any major harm. Of course, a fall from that height was not going to feel necessarily good either. She braced herself as the structure continued to fall after hitting the ground. The noise echoed loudly across the neighborhood, causing many people to turn their lights on and watch the scenery.</p><p>Once the dust settled, Yang stood up and dusted herself of before looking up where Jaune once stood. She knew it before she hit the ground, what her eyes had now confirmed. Jaune had escaped her.</p><p>She walked slowly out of the alley, back the way she had come. She began to head back towards where she had left Ruby and Pyrrha. She knew that she would not catch him now, and with any hope, Weiss was able to at the very least, get inside Neptune's apartment. She pulled her scroll out from her pocket and looked through her contacts for Weiss's name before dialing the number.</p><p>It rang. And rang. And rang. But there was no answer.</p><p>Yang sighed to herself. This could be a very bad sign. How could this night get any worse? She thought to herself.</p><p>"Uh, Yang?" A voice asked her.</p><p>Yang looked up to see her sister Ruby. More than that, she looked at her sister Ruby and noticed one BIG problem.</p><p>"Ruby," Yang asked, with a very annoyed look on his face. "Where's Pyrrha?"</p><p>Ruby rubbed the back of her head and laughed lowly to herself. Without looking her in the eye and opting to stare at the ground as she was sweating slightly. "She... got away."</p><p>Yang collapsed to her knees as her sister gave her a worried look. As Yang knelt there in utter defeat, she stared blankly up at the night's sky and spoke to herself.</p><p>"Someone fucking kill me."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune landed on both feet as he jumped from a wall, still keeping his dinner secured and upright. He moved from the garden area he had landed in and made his way onto a main street where some people still lingered. Escape complete. He thought.</p><p>Even so, he knew staying on the streets was not a good idea. He scanned the area around him and noticed an all-night restaurant and bar at the corner of the block. He made his way there and opened the door. Jaune noticed the 'Please seat yourself' sign and moved towards a table at the far end of the restaurant.</p><p>Once he was at a table he liked, he dropped his food on the table and collapsed in a seat. He sighed heavily as he relaxed in his seat.</p><p>"Why is this happening?" He spoke to himself.</p><p>He sighed once more and reached into his pocket again. He pulled out his scroll from his pocket once more and looked for Neptune's contact information. Again, he dialed the number with hopes of an answer, but the only thing he got was more ringing.</p><p>"Damn it, Neptune. What is going on?" Jaune spoke.</p><p>Apart from his now cold dinner, Jaune was alone. This fight was his alone for now.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune couldn't breathe. It's at a time like this where he could recall all the good times when he took breathing for granted. He compared it to when you get a cold and your nose was stuffy. Some things were just so precious.</p><p>His face was surrounded by cool water. His fear of water only grew as he was submerged longer and longer. His attempts to struggle were met with only delving deeper into the cold water. He could feel himself drifting and losing his will to fight, only to be dragged out by his hair by strong and delicate fingers.</p><p>His head was removed from his watery prison as he gasped for air.</p><p>"AHHHHHH!" He yelled, coughing as he panted and attempted to breathe. "You're a psychopath!"</p><p>Neptune's words were directed at the person holding his head. The hand belonged to that of Weiss Schnee who continued to have a strong grip on Neptune's blue, now messy, hair. He continued to cough as she stared at him with a pleased smile.</p><p>"That's no way to beg for forgiveness, you know." She stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>"You're insa-"</p><p>He never finished that statement as he was plunged once again into the water below him.</p><p>Soon after Weiss had entered the apartment, she submitted Neptune with a bit of Ice dust, creating restraints and then beginning her own interrogation. She knew Neptune was not going to give up his friend so easily and she would have to use... forceful measures. No, she wasn't using syrup, or bondage like her previous friends had. She wanted the fear of Oum to strike into Neptune's heart.</p><p>After restraining him, she made sure to investigate his apartment. She even found his crudely drawn plans on the countertop that he had left in his kitchen that he neglected to throw out. She examined it and its title, 'Operation: Attack RWBY'. What a terrible name. She thought as she discovered it earlier. She could tell by the writing that it was Neptune's. The true mastermind of their childish prank.</p><p>Confirming what she had thought, she made her way down the hallway of his apartment and noticed his bathroom. She stared for a moment before a smile crept on her face. Entering the room, she immediately turned on the water to his tub and plugged the drain. After a few minutes, she turned the water off, having reached the desired amount.</p><p>Once that was done, she returned to the living room to find her captive still detained on the couch, but still struggling. With some prodding, she got him to stand and begin walking down the hallway she just came from and enter the bathroom. Once there, he stared inquisitively at the water in his tub before looking back at Weiss. She knelt him down and began asking him questions. Questions he refused to answer.</p><p>And that's how they had reached this point. For every time he refused to answer he was going to take a dip. His fear of water only fed her desire to keep plunging him into the water. If Blake was a sadist, then Weiss was something much worse.</p><p>She removed his head again and cleared her throat before speaking.</p><p>"Now then, where's the camera car?" She spoke softly, almost acting innocent from what she was doing.</p><p>He coughed several times again after she removed him. "You're a monster!"</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about."</p><p>"YOU'RE FUCKING WATERBOARDING ME! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"</p><p>"Right... time to swim."</p><p>"No, wait! Please I-"</p><p>And submerged he went again. She sighed at his inability to accept his current situation. She couldn't help herself but giggle though. After all he had said and done tonight, the look on his face when he realized she had found him in his apartment was something special.</p><p>Yang was right about that. She thought.</p><p>She shook herself from thought as he began to struggle under the water again, reminding her to pull him out before he passed out. This time she dropped him to the floor as he continued to cough. She looked down at him and sighed once more before walking out of the room.</p><p>"You stay right there. I'll be right back." She commanded.</p><p>She walked out of the room and back to the living room. She canned the room and noticed what she was looking for. She picked it up and smiled as she walked back towards the bathroom, listening to Neptune cough the entire way back. She walked back to him and knelt next to his laying body. He gazed up at her as she smiled. It was a smile that while seemingly innocent, hid a foreboding evil behind it.</p><p>She raised his scroll up above him, revealing what she went to retrieve earlier.</p><p>"If you don't have the 'camera-car' like you say, then there is only one other person who could have it... right?" She asked.</p><p>Damn it. He thought. He knew exactly what she was getting at.</p><p>"Sorry, but I won't let that happen." Neptune spoke calmly.</p><p>"How predictable. Your guy code is quite annoying." Weiss responded.</p><p>"Well, we have long night ahead of us then, don't we?" She asked mischievously.</p><p>Neptune made his best attempt to crawl away without the use of his hands. He looked like a worm to her as she laughed. She allowed him to get as far as the doorway before she placed a foot down on him. He struggled against her weight but was having no luck. He knew this situation was not going to change. He stared up at her with defiant eyes as she smirked again.</p><p>She knelt beside him again as he cringed in despair. "Bath time." She spoke.</p><p>"No! No! No! You've undone years of therapy already, no more!" He pleaded.</p><p>She dangled his scroll once more in front of him as he looked at it.</p><p>"Then make the call."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune sat at the table and kept pondering what to do next. He had almost no pizza left and even less ideas. With Neptune MIA he was left to only himself. His fears were that Neptune had been captured and with the possession of the camera-car, he was still going to be a target for the women.</p><p>He sighed as he was stuck between a rock and hard place. It was almost as if this night would never end. Even when it did, what would tomorrow hold? Would he be running forever? He had a whole city to hide in, but how long could that last?</p><p>He reached into his pocket and pulled out the camera-car before examining it. If he was going to stand any chance, he needed to make the video file and use it for protection. If not only for himself, then for the lives of his friends.</p><p>"What's that?" A voice beside him asked.</p><p>"Well, you see- Pyrrha?!" Jaune exclaimed.</p><p>Sitting next to him at the booth, now consuming the rest of his pizza was the red head that had been disappearing and re-appearing at random throughout the night. And now, somehow, she had found herself at his booth in a random restaurant without him even realizing it. And not just that, she was eating his food.</p><p>"My ZA!" He exclaimed.</p><p>"Your whatty?" She asked with a mouth full of food.</p><p>"My pizza!"</p><p>"Yeah, it's pretty good. You want some?" She asked.</p><p>Jaune could take one look at her and notice she was still three sheets to the wind AKA hammered, AKA drunk, AKA fucked up. He sighed again as he relaxed in his seat while she continued eating.</p><p>"How did you even find me?" He asked her.</p><p>"I saw you walk down the street and figured Jaune isn't going to tackle me and eat my cereal so I should go play with him!" She beamed happily.</p><p>"Well, as long as you're not going to attack me or lick me," He cringed slightly "then you're welcome to be here and enjoy some Za."</p><p>"Why would I lick you?" She asked, still eating of course.</p><p>"I don't want to-"</p><p>Before he could finish his statement, he noticed his scroll vibrating on the table between himself and Pyrrha. He picked it up and brought it closer to himself.</p><p>Incoming call. He thought.</p><p>"From Neptune?!" He exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat.</p><p>Finally, maybe now they could make some progress. At least I know he's safe and sound.</p><p>He was not "safe and sound."</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Looming Threat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 16 – Looming Threat</p><p>Jaune stared down at his scroll as he felt a smile creep onto his face. Thank Oum. He thought. Without much thought, he hit the TALK button and brought the device to his ear.</p><p>"Neptune!" Jaune exclaimed. "I am so glad to finally speak with you. Look, we have a problem. The girls followed us to the city. I ran into Yang and she tried to attack me. I got away, but-"</p><p>"Slow down, buddy!" Neptune spoke.</p><p>Jaune stopped his story and caught his breath for a moment. All the excitement from the night had finally caught up to him. He took a moment to re-collect himself as he looked at Pyrrha who was finishing the rest of the pizza from the box.</p><p>"Look, I'm not trying to worry you, but I think we might be in big trouble here."</p><p>Neptune paused as he looked at the phone on the floor in front of him in the bathroom. He was still bound, and Weiss stood above him with a foot holding him in place. The phone was on speaker to allow her to listen in freely on whatever was said. She dug the heel of her foot into his back lightly, almost as if to signal to him to get a move on.</p><p>Neptune tried to think on his feet, or stomach really, as to not incriminate himself but spare Jaune. He knew he was in a tight spot here, literally.</p><p>"Jaune, do you have the camera-car?" Neptune asked.</p><p>Jaune reached into his pocket again and pulled out the small object. He placed it on the table as rolled it back and forth with his index finger.</p><p>"Yeah, how did it get into my pocket, anyway?" He asked.</p><p>"Never mind that." Neptune replied. "Is it damaged at all?"</p><p>Weiss was confused by his line of questioning as she listened in. While he dd reveal that Jaune was in possession of the footage, he was dragging out the conversation. She applied a little more force this time into Neptune's back, making him wince slightly in pain. She was not going to play any of his games.</p><p>Jaune inspected the object again in his hand. He looked it over from all angles and noticed that it hadn't been damaged at all. Between the fight, the chase, and everything else, the 'camera-car' was in better shape than anyone most likely.</p><p>Jaune placed it back on the table before speaking again. "Yeah, seems fine to me."</p><p>Neptune let out a small sigh. Then this wasn't all for nothing. He thought. Neptune knew he was caught, and this battle was over, but he was not willing to concede the war. Not yet.</p><p>"So, I'm good to head back and we can start on uploading the video, right?" Jaune asked. "Also, I kind of ran into Pyrrha and she's with me now."</p><p>Weiss and Neptune looked at the phone inquisitively. How the hell did she make it all the way to the city? They both thought simultaneously. Neptune shook himself of such thoughts quickly. It was now or never that he had to make a move. If he agreed, Jaune would be in just as much trouble and the video footage would undoubtedly be destroyed.</p><p>Weiss prodded him again from behind. How annoying was this? He might be able to buy himself some good faith from her if he did what she was asking and reduce his own sentence, but he would lose all they worked for. It was now or never.</p><p>"Uh, Neptune?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"Jaune." Neptune replied after his pause.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"There's a lot of nice hotels in downtown Vale." Neptune told him.</p><p>"Excuse me?" Jaune replied.</p><p>Weiss was looking at Neptune with a questioning eye as she stopped her prodding. What the hell are you doing? She thought to herself. Surely, he couldn't be so stupid as to try and send his friend a secret message.</p><p>"I said, there is nice hotels downtown in Vale. A lot of them too. So many so, that you'd never be found." Neptune continued.</p><p>Jaune was worried about his friend's blood sugar. The poor man was probably so food-deprived that he was now speaking gibberish. Not to mention, his fridge of prune juice probably wasn't going to be of much help. A growing boy needed food.</p><p>"Neptune, I've only got a little food left, but don't worry, I'm on my way to make sure you eat something." Jaune replied.</p><p>Jaune reached for the pizza box from Pyrrha who offered a low growl. Jaune grabbed the box and gave her a look of "Are you serious?" as he attempted to pull the box away from her. She kept a grip on it as and continued her growling as if she were a starving dog who was having their food taken away.</p><p>Neptune listened to Jaune berate Pyrrha over the phone. Unfortunately, his dimwitted friend didn't catch on to what he was trying to hint at. He was going to have to go all in. He felt a foot on him again. He looked back at Weiss who was smirking at him. She was baring most of her tiny frame on him now. That's when it happened. His one last defiant stand.</p><p>He smirked back at her causing her to drop the one on her face. In one foul swoop, he leaned as far back as he could and pushed her weight off him. She stumbled backwards, trying to regain her footing. Unfortunately for her, Neptune's bathroom wasn't exactly big. Before she could regain any sort of balance, the back of her legs collided with the edge of the tub, sending her off balance again and causing her to fall backwards into the tub.</p><p>Neptune wasted no time, trying to gain some footing of his own, His hands were still bound and helping himself up on the slippery floor was a difficult task. He struggled to stand erect on the bathroom floor.</p><p>"Jaune!" Neptune yelled.</p><p>"Y-yeah, what's up, man?" Jaune answered to his friend who screamed.</p><p>"I don't have much time! They found the apartment and Weiss is here! You need to take the camera-car and find a safe place to upload the video!"</p><p>Jaune stared at the scroll in disbelief. His stomach turned at the information. The fact they had found them and so quickly was alarming and now his friend was in trouble.</p><p>"Neptune, I'm on my way to rescue-"</p><p>"No! We've come too far! Finish the job! We'll have a leg to stand on after we have leverage."</p><p>As Neptune finished his response, the sound of water dropping to the floor echoed in the room from behind him. He turned slowly, pale in the face once more. He saw Weiss glaring at him, anger evident in her eyes. He saw the Ice princess of Beacon Academy turn into a fiery demon with evil intentions written all over her face.</p><p>"Forget me, Jaune! Do it!" Neptune yelled as he ran out of the bathroom.</p><p>"GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Weiss yelled as she gave chase and the call ended.</p><p>Jaune was eerily still as the scroll faded to a black screen indicating the line was no longer active. He brought his head between both hands and stroked his hair softly as if trying to console himself quietly. He looked down at the table for a short while, without blinking, trying to picture what to do next. He thought quietly to himself as Pyrrha finished off the last bite of food, still listening to everything going on.</p><p>"Well," She stated, causing him to look at her. "He's boned."</p><p>"You're not helping." He stated, dropping his head into his hands once more.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Neptune raced through the hallway of his apartment trying his best to make an escape. Having his hands bound was going to make this challenge even more difficult, but he had to try. He ran past his kitchen area and looked over his shoulder to see Weiss slowly making her way towards him. He looked to his front door a few feet away.</p><p>He ran at it backwards, using his bound hands to push the plunger on the door down. He walked forward slowly to pull the door open as Weiss closed in. He kicked his heel around the edge of the door and pulled himself to the opposite side of the door, finding himself now in the hallway. He pulled the door shut behind him in an attempt to slow her pursuit of him. As he pulled it closed, he felt her pull the door from the opposite side.</p><p>He released his grip in response and began taking off in the direction of the elevators down the hall. He kept a panicked look on his face as he heard the door open behind him as he kept running. He didn't look back as he kept his eyes on the elevator doors in front of him. He ran up and used his knee to hit the 'Down' button. He listened to approaching footsteps as the elevator numbers rose.</p><p>1... 2... 3... 4... 5!</p><p>He looked over his shoulder as he heard the elevator ding and saw she was still far away. He smirked once more as he heard the doors in front of him open. He turned his head back and his eyes went wide as he saw a sight he wasn't expecting. Before he could act, a fist hit him and he went flying back down the hallway and landed on his side, breaking his aura.</p><p>He looked back towards the elevator while semi-conscious and saw Yang rubbing her hand after cocking him right in the face. Ruby was beside her as well and laughing at the boy's misfortune.</p><p>"Wha... How?!"</p><p>He looked behind him as the footsteps he heard earlier had come to a stop. Weiss was standing above him, still drenched from her dip but was smiling again.</p><p>"Forgot to tell you. I Invited friends." She spoke.</p><p>He didn't respond as he passed out from a combination of the hit and adrenaline from the chase tiring him out. Yang and Ruby strolled up to Weiss soon after.</p><p>"You're... all wet." Ruby commented.</p><p>"You're so observational." Weiss replied as she rung her hair out, dripping more water to the floor.</p><p>"I guess Blue boy gave you a run for your money." Yang commented with a smile.</p><p>"And Jauney boy did the same for you." Weiss stung back.</p><p>Yang dropped her smile at the comment. "I don't want to talk about it."</p><p>"She slipped on pizza grease!" Ruby commented.</p><p>Yang facepalmed as Weiss grabbed Neptune by the collar and began dragging him down the hallway in the direction of his apartment.</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it either." Weiss spoke. "Also, we have another problem."</p><p>The three girls walked down the hallway and re-entered Neptune's apartment. The clear signs of a struggle were evident after entering. There was water all over the floor as well as furniture knocked over. Weiss walked ahead of her friends with Neptune and tossed him onto the couch while he was still out of it.</p><p>"What's the problem now?" Yang asked.</p><p>"He told Jaune I was here." Weiss stated as she sighed. "He tried to hint off it wasn't safe here and when Jaune wasn't getting it, he just blurted out that we found the apartment. He told him take the camera-car and find somewhere to upload the data."</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"Also, Pyrrha is with him."</p><p>"Double fuck."</p><p>"Wait," Ruby spoke. "So, Jaune has the camera-car? How did that happen?"</p><p>Weiss sat down on the couch next to Neptune and slouched backwards as if defeated. Her friends stood behind her as she looked at them.</p><p>"I don't know, but this isn't good. He could go anywhere." She stated.</p><p>"Did Neptune tell him anywhere specific? Maybe he told him where to go? Jaune doesn't know the city all that well." Ruby asked.</p><p>Weiss thought for a moment. There wasn't much to their conversation, but she did recall one thing that Neptune said that might be of use.</p><p>"A hotel." Weiss stated.</p><p>"Huh?" Yang asked.</p><p>"Neptune told Jaune that 'there's a lot of nice hotels in downtown Vale.'" Weiss replied. "Maybe he wants him to go to a hotel with a computer to upload the data."</p><p>Ruby and Yang shared a nod.</p><p>"That has to be it." Ruby replied. "The problem is... which one?"</p><p>Vale wasn't necessarily a huge city, but it had its share of hotels and businesses. One who was unfamiliar with the city could easily get lost or wind up somewhere they shouldn't. In Jaune's case, he was a wildcard. He was unfamiliar but crafty. If he did indeed catch onto Neptune's message, he was going to think up a strategy quickly.</p><p>Ruby opened her scroll and did a quick search on hotels where Yang had last confronted him. There wasn't a particularly large number of places around there, but it was going to take time to cover them all. If she was a betting girl, he'd make his best attempt at one of those few she found.</p><p>Ruby walked over to Neptune's counter as Yang and Weiss watched her. She reached into a drawer and found a pen to write with. She picked up a piece of paper on the counter that was left there and flipped it over to a blank side. One by one, she wrote down the hotels in the area. Once finished, she placed the pen back in the drawers and turned around to the other two girls.</p><p>"I made a list... and I checked it twice." She spoke.</p><p>"Are you still drunk?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"Not at all." Ruby answered. "But I have a list of the places where Yang chased Jaune. If he's still in the area, we might want to check these out."</p><p>"Good job, Rubes." Yang stated.</p><p>"We can give it a shot." Weiss said. "I just hope we have time."</p><p>"Not to worry." Ruby remarked. "Jaune sucks with technology. Even if he finds a computer, we'll have graduated by the time he figures out how to work it well enough to upload the footage."</p><p>"Good thing we have a Jaune expert." Yang stated while sticking her tongue out.</p><p>Ruby blushed at her sister's teasing. She did know a lot about him, but then again, he knew her well also. She just hoped he hadn't caught on to that. After they catch him, he would be the last piece of the puzzle to this night. He and she were going to have words to say the least.</p><p>Her eyes traveled to Weiss who was still drenched but was making the effort to try off with one of Neptune's towels. She should just stay here. She thought to herself. Weiss had been through it tonight and though it wasn't especially cold out, she shouldn't walk around the city like that.</p><p>"Weiss." Ruby spoke, causing her to stop drying her hair long enough to look over at her team leader. "Yang and I will finish this. You stay here. No need to get sick."</p><p>Weiss dropped the towel to her side, clenching it in her left hand as she raised an eyebrow at her friend.</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Yeah. Have some faith in your teammates." Yang jumped in. "Besides, someone has to watch that one."</p><p>Yang pointed over at Neptune who was still clearly unconscious from earlier. Weiss couldn't argue that. Neptune caused this problem and if left alone to his own devices, restrained or not, he could cause even more damage. She would be sure that didn't happen. Weiss sat back down on the couch as her friends made their way towards the door and opened it.</p><p>"All right." Weiss stated as she looked back at them. "Good luck."</p><p>"You know it." Ruby said as she closed the door behind Yang and herself before making their way down the hallway.</p><p>Yang looked over at her sister as they made their way towards the elevators. She smiled before slinging an arm over her shoulder and pulling her in close.</p><p>"That was nice of you sis. I'm sure Weiss will appreciate it."</p><p>"Yeah, we've got this. No need for her to get sick for no reason."</p><p>Yang chuckled to herself at her sister's response. "Ah, Ruby. The unintentional wingman that all ladies need." She spoke as if she read it off a billboard somewhere.</p><p>"Huh?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Don't worry about it. Just know I got you're back later."</p><p>"Uh, thanks?"</p><p>The two entered the elevator soon after and made their way down to the first floor and out the front doors of the apartment complex in search of Jaune and the camera-car. Back in the apartment, Weiss sat on the couch beside Neptune still trying to dry herself off.</p><p>"This is annoying." She stated. No matter how much she tried, her clothes were drenched. If she stayed in them for too long, she was going to catch a cold. She stared over at the unconscious boy with a look of blame. He had almost singlehandedly taken her night and turned it upside down. Instead of enjoying a few drinks with friends, she was instead sitting in his apartment soaking wet.</p><p>The more she sat there, the more annoyed she got. She opted to take a walk down the hallway just to get her mind off it. She figured exploring would calm her nerves. She walked down the hall again, this time past the bathroom where he had drenched her. She had to admit, his apartment was in good taste. It was simplistic, but a nice size. She could see herself renting a place like this as she worked as a huntress.</p><p>The thought of returning home to Atlas and working there was not even a thought. She wanted to stay as far away from her father as possible. Yes, staying in Vale was the correct decision and she wanted to work beside her teammates to fight the Grimm.</p><p>As she continued her tour, she took notice of one thing specifically. His washer and dryer. She looked at herself, still dripping and then back at the washer and dryer. Should I? She thought. It's his fault so I guess it's only fair.</p><p>Weiss looked back down the hall to see if someone was there, but she was still alone. She inwardly sighed. She looked further down the the hallway to Neptune's bedroom and saw the door was slightly ajar. She made her way towards it and opened the door.</p><p>"But first, I'll need a change of clothes."</p><p>OooOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune exited the restaurant quietly. He was all that remained now. His anxiety grew as it was now up to him to finish what they had started. He needed to upload the data for any chance of survival. He leaned against the building and rubbed his head once more.</p><p>"What a mess." He spoke to himself.</p><p>And that it was. He reached into his pocket once again to make sure he still had the camera-car. It was there, safe in his pocket. The problem was, how was he going to do this now? Without Neptune he was unsure on how to go about doing this. He's never uploaded anything to a computer without help. He'll, he could barely start a computer up without the want to smash it to pieces. Technology was a gift and a burden.</p><p>His thoughts were immediately interrupted by a stumbling Pyrrha who decided to use all of her body weight to open the door to the outside rather than use a hand. She feel to the ground in a fit of laughter as Jaune looked on in surprise and fright. This woman was something terrifying.</p><p>"Hey Jaune!" She yelled from the ground between laughs.</p><p>"Y-Yeah?" He responded.</p><p>"Do you know they were giving out pink cakes in the Men's room?" She asked.</p><p>"Pyrrha… you didn't."</p><p>"No I didn't eat it!" She responded causing Jaune let out a sigh of relief. "All the people were too busy screaming at me to get out. They wouldn't share with me!"</p><p>Jaune sighed again at his friend in disbelief. He walked over to her and picked her up, slinging her left arm over his shoulder as he began walking away from the establishment.</p><p>Looks like I can't come back here again. He thought to himself. He thought to himself as he now heard the yelling from inside.</p><p>"What am I going to do with you?" He asked rhetorically.</p><p>"Buy me a cake?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"FOOLISH MORTAL! I wi-"</p><p>"Stop yelling in my ear, Pyrrha!"</p><p>His yelling caused her to tear up begin a whiny child-like cry as he walked down the street with her. It was getting later into the night but there were still people walking the streets watching them as he did his best to hide his embarrassment.</p><p>"This might just keeps getting better and better." He spoke lowly between her cries.</p><p>Unfortunately, Jaune was not the type to just leave a friend, albeit, a drunk one, in the middle of a populated city while he went on with his own plans. He feared for her safety, and honestly, the safety of the citizens as well. Drunk Pyrrha was not to be truffles with and he knew first hand what she was capable of.</p><p>He thought to himself more as he continued his walk in an aimless direction, attempting to get more distance from the restaurant he was surely banished from now. He looked down at his friend to his right as he continued to think. Her whiny protest continued quietly as he looked her over.</p><p>"Well, I can't take you home like this." He spoke.</p><p>That's when it came to him. Neptune's comment earlier. A hotel. He thought to himself again.</p><p>It was the only option he had. A hotel with computer and network access was the best chance he had to get the job done. It was also the best option for his drunk friend to hopefully sleep off this seemingly endless drunken state.</p><p>Jaune reaches into his left pocket with his free hand and pulled out his scroll. He did a search of hotels in the area with hopes of there being something close by. The search proved bountiful as there were numerous places in the area. The cost wasn't that significant either as he gauged the pricing of each option. Regardless of price, he needed this as his only way out.</p><p>Another thought crossed his mind causing him to stop mid-walk as even Pyrrha gave him a confused, but dazed look.</p><p>"Every time we've planned something they've been one step ahead of us." He spoke to himself.</p><p>It was true. With each plan they had devised, they all proved insignificant in the end based on their current track record. He had no one else to rely on besides himself now to work this problem out.</p><p>"If Weiss was in the room when Neptune told me to check for hotels… then they may be looking for me at each one." He spoke to himself again.</p><p>He let out an aggravated groan as he saw this plan going south just like all the others had for the night. All they had to do was search these exact places and they may find him sooner rather than later.</p><p>"What the fuck do I do?!" He yelled.</p><p>"Why don't you just look for somewhere that's not listed on network? There's smaller ones that don't list themselves too."</p><p>He looked to his right to see Pyrrha was the one who offered the suggestion. He was stunned to silence as he looked at her and she at him.</p><p>"Are… are you okay?" He asked her.</p><p>"But there has to be cake there…"</p><p>He dropped his surprised expression once again. Still drunk. He thought to himself.</p><p>He had to admit though, it wasn't a bad plan. There were smaller hotels that didn't always list themselves for one reason or another. He might even be able to convince two students to be allowed to stay there and not make a fuss about it. Yes, they were adults now technically, but they were still students and some hotels might have reservations about renting a room to them especially in Pyrrha's condition.</p><p>Yes. This was the plan now. It might take a little longer to find somewhere but this was again the best option. He began walking forward again as he held onto his friend. His search would hopefully prove to be fruitful.</p><p>"Now can I have cake?" Pyrrha asked.</p><p>"Not now."</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"Don't say things like that." Jaune chastised her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Fated Encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 17 – Fated Encounter</p><p>WARNING: Slight mature content</p><p>Neptune felt the oft cushions of his couch beneath him as he roused awake. He slowly opened his eyes and became adjusted to the light. He could feel the left side of his face aching him as he regained consciousness. He groaned slightly in pain as he began to move. He reached to hold his face. He could feel it swelling as he tried to console himself.</p><p>"What... happened?..." Neptune spoke.</p><p>"So, you're finally awake?" A voice asked him.</p><p>He looked over to his love seat couch and saw a girl looking back at him. It was Weiss. Suddenly, Neptune remembered it all. The night, the escape, the waterboarding... And even the attempted escape before being knocked out by Yang before he could get away. The traumatizing events from the night were returning by the second.</p><p>Neptune noticed he was no longer restrained as he was earlier. It didn't matter, if he ran again, he would surely be caught. He looked around the room and noticed it was empty. Yang and Ruby were not around as far as he could tell. As it was, only he and Weiss were in the apartment.</p><p>He considered an escape again, but something else caught his attention first. He looked over at Weiss who was now staring at him as he looked all around before his eyes found her again. Something was unmistakably different about her, but he couldn't quite put his...</p><p>"Are those my clothes?" Neptune asked in surprise.</p><p>Weiss blinked at him momentarily before looking down at herself. She was wearing a light-blue t shirt and a pair of black gym shorts with white stripes along the side. The t shirt was a little baggy on her but fit her chest nicely. Neptune had a habit of wearing tight fit clothes, so it was wasn't exceptionally big on her. The shorts were soft and complimented her backside.</p><p>She made sure to pick out clothes she would be comfortable in during the wait while she cleaned her own. Usually, she'd be against going through someone else's clothing, especially a man's, but she wasn't about to get sick because of this boy's antics. She went right for his dresser and made sure he wasn't awake before using his bedroom as a changing room. She looked back at him afterwards and narrowed her eyes at his accusing his face.</p><p>"Yeah? So what? You kind of soaked my clothes earlier in case you forgot. I'm borrowing your dryer too. Do you have a problem with that?"</p><p>"No, no." he stated as he blinked at her a few times. "You just look... comfortable." he stated as he was still weirded out by this conversation.</p><p>"Yeah, I made sure to find something that would be comfortable if I had to wear it." She remarked.</p><p>There was an awkward silence between the two for a few moments. Weiss looked away from his face, embarrassed by his comments earlier. Neptune was unable how to handle this kind of awkward situation. He and Weiss were alone now.</p><p>Neptune tried to shake his mind from this predicament. He looked around the room once more. He saw the clock and noticed not much time had passed. How long was he out for? 15 minutes maybe? Had Yang and Ruby come and gone that quickly? Better yet, what was going on with Jaune? Did he understand his message?</p><p>"Ahem." Weiss spoke.</p><p>Neptune looked back at her as she began to stand up. He kept his eyes on her as she stretched. Neptune was a playboy, but he always had an eye for the Schnee heiress. He only felt more nervous as she seemed unfazed by wearing his clothes, while his heart was beating faster and faster. He couldn't help it. He thought it was hot.</p><p>"Y-Yes?"</p><p>"Who is Cynthia?" She asked,</p><p>"Who?" he inquired.</p><p>"Cynthia... Who is she? She's been blowing up your scroll as we've sat here."</p><p>She showed him his scroll while she clenched it in her hand. Neptune was confused for a moment. He had to think on it. The stress from the situation had his mind elsewhere until he could recall.</p><p>"O-Oh. Right. Cynthia." He commented. "She works here at the complex behind the desk downstairs."</p><p>Weiss's eyes filled with anger as she tightened the grip around the scroll. She dropped the arm holding it to her side as she shook. That bitch. How did I know? She thought to herself. The big-breasted blond she had the encounter with before and her arrogant words flooded her mind.</p><p>Neptune was increasingly uncomfortable with the dark aura surrounding the white-haired girl. He didn't know if he was in danger, but he thought it wise to start scooting down the other side of the couch to at least get a little distance in case he had to make a break for it. He could see the girl's time frame shake and he didn't want to get punched again with his aura still not returned.</p><p>"Uhh... Weiss?" He commented with a shaky voice.</p><p>"So you like them blond and bitchy, huh?"</p><p>"Excuse me?" Neptune answered.</p><p>"Your women. You like them dumb looking with a huge rack and a shitty attitude? That woman is far from anything with a respectable future. She'll probably wind up stripping."</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>"In fact, she'll probably start selling her body soon enough."</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>"What do you mean 'what?'"</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm just confused with this whole conversation." Neptune stated.</p><p>Weiss approached him as he threw his arms up in defense. He didn't think this is where their next conversation would be going. She had somehow found a way to be mad at something else besides what had happened between him and her earlier. Women sure were scary when they wanted to be.</p><p>He yelped in fear as she stood above him, hiding her face beneath her hair that was tied sloppily. He did his best to try and calm himself.</p><p>"You... You always made it seem like you were interested in me."</p><p>"I..."</p><p>"But... you never went any further. You opted to just sit there and tease me."</p><p>Her breathing was uneven as he watched her. He was unsure what was happening. He didn't even know what to say as she kept getting closer. He put his hand sin front of him in defense as she reached out and clasped his hands in hers.</p><p>"Weiss... I don't know what-"</p><p>"And then you pull this stunt tonight..." She continued as her voice trembled.</p><p>"It wasn't meant to be something that went this far, I swear." he replied.</p><p>He could feel her overpowering his grip. His strength was still not back from everything that had happened tonight. He could feel her winning the battle of wills as he tried to resist her force. He tried to push her off with all he could as she continued to push on.</p><p>How is she so strong for being so tiny?! He thought to himself.</p><p>"And then... you keep calling me 'Babe' as if to mock me..." She continued.</p><p>His arms shook as he tried to fend her off. He noticed how close they were now as she kept at it. When had she position herself on him? He took note of how she was now seemingly straddling his waist on the couch. This was unexpected but he assumed it to be another ploy of hers.</p><p>He had to admit though, his loose-fitting shirt on her looked good. His eyes trailed to the nape of her neck and collarbone. Something was hypnotizing about it. She also had a perfume smell to her that he was now noticing due to their proximity.</p><p>He shook himself again as her face approached his. His arms were all but done at this point as she held him in place on the couch.</p><p>"Well, screw you!" She yelled.</p><p>He braced for impact as he figured a headbutt was coming. He closed his eyes and clinched up as much as he could to try and soften the blow, but something else happened. Granted she did smash her face into his, but rather than their foreheads colliding, it was her lips on his.</p><p>His stunned expression said it all. The kiss was forceful and overwhelming. This was unexpected to say the least. His mind was lost as he sat there, helpless to fight back even if he wanted to, which he didn't.</p><p>Neptune was surprised again as he felt her tongue intrude beyond her lips and part his. He stopped any resistance and allowed he tongue entrance as his met hers upon entry. He heard her moan lowly at contact. He relented his attempt to fight her arms back and he went noodle-armed as she continued to hold his hands in place.</p><p>Their tongues wrestled in his mouth as she never stopped her attack on his face. Neptune let it happen as he tried to put any kind of thought process together about what was going on. First, she wanted to kill him and now she was making out with him in his apartment? Women are definitely scary... He thought again.</p><p>The session continued on and on for several minutes. Weiss's arms eventually let go of Neptune's as she found her arms resting on his broad shoulders. Neptune didn't seem to notice she released him and kept his arms up for an extra minute or so. Once he paid attention to it, he dropped his arms to her petite waist and held her there, eliciting another small moan that he returned as well.</p><p>Eventually, she gripped his shoulders tightly as she began to move her lower half. She pulled away suddenly and gasped for air as she remained on his lap. He followed with a gasp and even a few coughs as he attempted to catch his breath.</p><p>"I... I bet she never did that with you..." Weiss commented between breaths.</p><p>Neptune continued to catch his breath as he looked at Weiss's face. He still couldn't wrap his mind this. His eyes remained on her face as he couldn't help but feel happy. She was cute and though she could be scary, her jealousy was cute too.</p><p>"Actually..." He began. "You're right. Mostly, because, I never kissed her..."</p><p>Weiss went blank in the face. Her eyes glazed over as she stared back at him. Her face twitched slightly as she tried to process the information.</p><p>"W-What..."</p><p>"And... if I have to be honest... I've never really kissed anyone." He continued.</p><p>Weiss's face glowed red as she continued to sit there in pure embarrassment and bewilderment. Her face dropped as she looked down to avoid eye contact. The handsome playboy of Haven, Neptune Vasilias, had never kissed another girl before. Which meant...</p><p>I was his first?! She thought to herself only making her more and more embarrassed. Her eyes took notice of the physical situation they were in now. She noticed how she was all but riding him in their current situation as she straddled his lap. She noticed his arms on her waist. All this contact just made her head overheat as she tried to shake herself from all of this stimulus.</p><p>"You... You never kissed another girl?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"So, you never kissed Cynthia?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"And this was your first time doing this, then?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"What's with all the one-word answers?!" She asked frantically as she looked back at his face.</p><p>She noticed he was looking away at the ground and his face was red just like hers. He had a smile on and his dark blue eyes were shining in the dim light of the apartment lights. She had to admit, it was a cute scene she wanted to keep in her mind.</p><p>"Because... I don't know how to handle this right now. It's... new to me."</p><p>Weiss blinked for a few seconds before she relaxed her arms for a moment. She sighed as she brought her right arm up ad facepalmed at his response. He looked back at her now as she let out the exasperated exhale.</p><p>"I figured you have kissed hundreds of girls by the way you always tried to flaunt yourself in front of every woman you met." Weiss commented.</p><p>"Hey!" He responded. "You make me sound like I'm some kind of animal."</p><p>She looked back at him through her half, facepalmed face with narrowed eyes as if to say 'Yeah, so?'.</p><p>"And... I've never been good at closing the deal."</p><p>"Closing the deal?" Weiss asked.</p><p>"Kissing a girl!"</p><p>She dropped her facepalm as she looked at him in surprise and then embarrassment again. She brought her hand up to her lips as she remembered the sensation from a few moments ago. It was exciting and comfortable, but unlike her. Her loss of restraint from her usually self made it feel... free. She threw all caution to the wind and did what she wanted to without thinking of anything else but what she wanted.</p><p>This made her feel a tinge of guilt as well about stealing his first kiss. That was a moment he could not get back and she stole it just to prove a point.</p><p>"I... I'm sorry." Weiss spoke up.</p><p>Neptune looked at her with a confused look at her statement. "Excuse me?" He blurted out.</p><p>"I'm sorry I took your first kiss. It was selfish of me to do something like that. I shouldn't have presumed you-"</p><p>She never finished the statement as this time his mouth collided with hers, much to her surprise. He gripped her hair with his left hand as he pulled her in with his right. She had to admire how daring it was as he pressed his lips hard against hers. She relented this time, and again their tongues met for a few seconds.</p><p>The kiss was passionate, much like the last one. Neptune knew it was a risk, but he wanted to do it much like she did earlier. His nervousness disappeared as she apologized, and he knew he had to do this. He wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him up. He had been passive for too long in these situations and not one more time was it going to happen, especially with THE Weiss Schnee that he had only dreamt of, sitting right before him.</p><p>He broke away this time, not lasting nearly as long as their last kiss. They panted slightly as their eyes met, both still red in the face.</p><p>"Don't apologize." He spoke up.</p><p>"W-What?" She asked.</p><p>"Don't apologize. There's no one I'd rather give my first kiss to." He spoke again.</p><p>Weiss sat there shocked for a few moments as he gave a smile. She sighed and gave a small smile of her own. She had liked him for as long as she could remember and the fact that he was willing to say that made her happy.</p><p>She noticed his scroll go off to next to them again as he looked over as well. It was another message from Cynthia as she grasped the phone in annoyance.</p><p>"I... I can delete and block her now." Neptune responded nervously.</p><p>Weiss kept her scowl on her face as she stared at the scroll. Suddenly, Neptune noticed her grip release slightly and she stared back at him with a dark smile. She had a plan, and he knew it.</p><p>"Actually... I have a better idea." She stated.</p><p>"Oh? What's tha-"</p><p>Once again, her faced smashed into his with a deep, passionate kiss as she kept the scroll in her hands. She continued for a few seconds as he didn't fight her, opting to enjoy the moment as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, he heard a 'SNAP' noise go off, causing his eyes to open. He looked to his right to see his scroll aiming down at Weiss and himself as they continued to kiss.</p><p>He watched as his camera went off several times taking multiple pictures of what he could only presume to be their faces as they made out in his apartment. She pulled away a few seconds later as he watched her. She pulled the scroll close as she laughed evilly with a scary smile.</p><p>"Did you just take our picture kissing without telling me?"</p><p>She stopped laughing for a few seconds and looked back at him with a serious face. "Are you going to lecture me on recording someone against their knowledge?"</p><p>He cringed at the comment before shaking his head.</p><p>"Good." She responded.</p><p>She went back to his scroll and began sending the pictures to her one at a time, enjoying the idea of a stupid look on the bimbo's face as she did it.</p><p>"Dumb bitch." Weiss commented with a satisfied mile.</p><p>Women are really scary. Neptune thought yet again.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune came to a stop at the edge of a corner. He stared at the hotel in front of him as he pulled of the network on his scroll and smiled for the first time in a while. There was no trace of this place on the network. Pyrrha's idea had actually worked.</p><p>"Salem's Slumber Palace... What a dumb name." He commented.</p><p>He didn't care though. Pyrrha and Jaune had searched the hotel district neighborhoods for a while before they had come across this place. With this day and age of technology, he thought it to be impossible for there still to be places like this that were unlisted. He was going to give up soon enough and just pick a place, but this had worked out somehow.</p><p>The hotel wasn't anything special compared to the rest in the area. It was a small place with only two levels of rooms available with outside access to each room. It wasn't a dump by any means, but it was surely not a 4 or 5 star resort like the others downtown.</p><p>He looked up at the Vacancy sign and noticed on the billboard below it offered "Computers with network access" in each room. To say Jaune hit the jackpot was an understatement. Soon enough, he would be tucked away safely and could finish off the job he was tasked with.</p><p>"Hey, Pyrrha it's time to-"</p><p>"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"</p><p>Jaune jumped at surprise from the loud cry coming from behind him. He looked back to see the cries coming from hi red-haired teammate who was sitting on the curb near him. Tears streamed down her face as he looked on in confusion and discomfort.</p><p>"Hey... Are you okay?" He asked her, hoping she hadn't hurt herself.</p><p>"My... drinky drink." She commented between her cries.</p><p>"You're what?" He asked.</p><p>Pyrrha raised up a blue bottle that was resting beside her. Jaune recognized that bottle. That evil... evil bottle. Lightning in a Bottle... He thought to himself.</p><p>Pyrrha turned the bottle over, spout first to reveal it to be empty. She shook it over and over again between her cries but the bottle was definitely empty, much to jaune's approval. Nothing good came from that thing and it should be smashed to pieces. He would file a complaint with whoever made it one day in the future.</p><p>"It's... empty!" Pyrrha yelled between her continued crying.</p><p>Jaune sighed in annoyance at his friend. Too much tonight had he been dealing with crap like this and he just wanted it all over with. He walked over to her and helped her up as she held on to the bottle and continued to weep.</p><p>"Come on, you." Jaune stated. "Once we get settled into our room, I'll get you another... drinky drink."</p><p>"Really?!" Pyrrha asked in excitement.</p><p>Her tears and crying stopped almost immediately at the blond boy's statement, further annoying him. This woman could turn it off and on like it was nothing while she was drunk. Her mind was an enigma that he wanted no part of.</p><p>"Yes, I swear."</p><p>"Drinky drink!"</p><p>"What did I say about screaming in my ear?!"</p><p>"Yeah, whatever." Pyrrha stated, dropping the empty bottle to the ground.</p><p>The two made their way over to the hotel complex and entered the property. They walked through the front door of the office to see no one was present behind the counter. Jaune looked around as Pyrrha was seemingly asleep on his shoulder after just a few feet of walking. He could feel her drool on his shoulder as he stood there.</p><p>He found a seat to put her that she quickly sank into, still out of it. He shook his head at her as he turned and walked over to the counter. He wiped his shoulder off as best he could as he looked for anyone to help them. He saw no one in the area as he looked at the counter. There was a bell sitting there as he again looked around. He shrugged to himself as he tapped it twice.</p><p>DING. DING.</p><p>Much to his surprise, he saw a woman with a pale face and red eyes pop up from the other side of the counter. Jaune jumped back in surprise as he held himself from falling over.</p><p>What the hell? Where'd she come from? He thought.</p><p>"Good evening." She greeted with a blank expression.</p><p>The woman was slightly shorter than him. She had white hair and was wearing what appeared to be a heavy, black gown. She had a scary way about her, but she offered a friendly smile to him as he regained his composure.</p><p>"H-Hi there." Jaune replied with a wave and a nervous laugh.</p><p>"Welcome to Salem's Slumber Palace where you get the rest that you deserve. I am Salem. How can I help you?"</p><p>Jaune cleared his throat before speaking. "Yeah, my friend and I were looking for a room for the night."</p><p>Salem looked over at the sleeping girl in her chair and raised an eyebrow at her appearance before looking back at Jaune.</p><p>"You didn't drug her did you?" She asked.</p><p>"WHAT?!" Jaune exclaimed. "Oum, no! She did that to herself. I just wanted to get her somewhere to sleep it off."</p><p>"You didn't bring her here to take advantage of her?"</p><p>"She's my teammate, I would never-"</p><p>He was cut off by the pale woman's laughing behind the counter.</p><p>"Settle down, boy. I can tell you are being sincere."</p><p>Jaune relaxed himself and let out a sigh once more. "Please, don't do that. I've been through hell tonight."</p><p>Salem continued a few low pitched laughs of her own at the boy. She walked over to a set of keycards on the wall and brought it over to her computer. She scanned it and typed a few things on the keyboard as Jaune stood there. After a few minutes, she walked back to the counter and motioned for him to come to her.</p><p>He approached the counter as she stuck out the card in an offering fashion. As he went to reach for it, Salem pulled it away, leaving Jaune confused.</p><p>"Here's the deal, Romeo."</p><p>"Romeo?" He asked. "She's not my-"</p><p>"In any case," she spoke again. "I'm not asking any questions. I know you're students, and I know she's drunk beyond cognition."</p><p>He winced at her words. Crap. He thought.</p><p>"But, you seem like good kids. So, here's my deal."</p><p>"O-Okay?"</p><p>"You pay for two nights. I don't care if you stay both nights, but if I'm sticking my neck out for you, then you are going to pay for it."</p><p>Jaune thought about it for a moment. He didn't really have much of a choice. He needed to do this for a multitude of reasons. He could try his luck at another hotel, but who's to say they will let two students, one being drunk, stay at their hotel. He nodded his head in agreement before reaching into his wallet and pulling out his card.</p><p>Salem smirked as she took it from him once he offered. She ran took it over to her computer and punched in his information. After a few moments, it was approved, and she returned it to him. She then handed him the keycard to the room.</p><p>"It's room 212." Salem spoke. "It's upstairs at the far end, last room on your left."</p><p>Jaune took everything from her and smiled. "Thanks for all the help."</p><p>She smiled and bowed as he walked over to pick up Pyrrha once more, who roused slightly awake. She used his shoulder as a pillow once again as he pulled her to her feet. He made his way to the door and opened it. he looked back at the desk to think Salem, but saw she was gone again. He shivered at how creepy the woman was and how she appeared/disappeared like that.</p><p>He left the office and made his way upstairs. He admired the sky as he walked on the outside corridor of the hotel. Once he walked to the end, he pulled the keycard out while trying to keep both his balance and Pyrrha's as he opened the door.</p><p>He walked inside and turned on the light. He looked around the space-ish room at the amenities. He saw the computer on the far side of the room that was promised on the billboard. Unfortunately, there was something that caught his attention more. The bed. The one, king-sized bed.</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Back at Neptune's apartment, he sat on the couch as Weiss was still sending out pictures on his scroll on his other couch. He didn't picture his night going like this. He figured he was going to get some form of punishment, but then again, he did get cold-cocked in his hallway and waterboarded in the bathroom. He saw it as time served now.</p><p>His mind traveled to Jaune who was, hopefully, still fighting the good fight. He looked over at Weiss once more and even if it ruined the moment, had to ask this question.</p><p>"Hey?" He spoke up.</p><p>"Yeah, what's up?" Weiss asked, still playing with is scroll.</p><p>"Uh, so... is Jaune okay?"</p><p>She looked away from the scroll at him with narrowed eyes again. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously as she stared at him.</p><p>"I haven't heard anything. I'm assuming they haven't caught up to him yet."</p><p>Neptune breathed a sigh of relief at her comment as he relaxed into his couch. He wasn't so much worried for himself anymore, but it was the only thing he had to fight back with and save their other two friends. He looked back at Weiss who was still staring at him. Maybe he could be the bridge to peace on this solution and save them all himself. After all, Weiss and he had entered some type of... relationship... Right?</p><p>He blinked a few times as he stared at her and leaned forward once more.</p><p>"Hey, Weiss..." He began. 'Do you think we could call a seize-fire now?"</p><p>"Hah! You're adorable." She stated.</p><p>"Come on, please?"</p><p>She stood up and walked towards him. He was nervous again. Was she coming to attack him or was she just wanting to talk, or did she want another make out session? He was okay with the second or third option but was ready for the first one.</p><p>She sat next to him on the couch. Soon after, she turned and laid against the arm of the couch, bringing her feet up and laying them on his lap. He offered her a confused look at her actions. She looked over at him with a smile.</p><p>"Massage."</p><p>"I... What?"</p><p>"Massage my legs. They're sore from tonight."</p><p>Neptune was still confused but wasn't against the idea. He shrugged his shoulders and did she requested, much to her approval. He was still unsure how this situation happened and decided to ask her once more.</p><p>"So... about the others?"</p><p>"Not your concern." She stated while picking up the remote and flipping through the channels.</p><p>He sighed loudly at her response. He knew this was not going to work. Unfortunately, Jaune was going to have to win this battle on his own as he would be stuck here for the foreseeable future. He looked down at her ash she used his remote and yawned comfortably. He laughed to himself lowly.</p><p>"Well, look at you making yourself at home." He commented.</p><p>'Well, yeah. After graduation, I'm moving in." She stated without looking away from the television.</p><p>Neptune blinked a few times at her response as he stared at the blank expression on her face.</p><p>"WHAT?!" He nearly yelled.</p><p>"You stopped rubbing my feet." She stated as she looked at him.</p><p>He went back to rubbing them as she looked over. Is this what being 'whipped' is? In any case, she never answered his question.</p><p>"Is this my punishment?" He asked himself.</p><p>She twitched as she overheard his words, placing the remote on the table and grabbing him by the shirt, still remaining in a laying position. The sudden pull startled Neptune as he was pulled towards her.</p><p>"So, being my roommate is a punishment?"</p><p>"Err... No, not at all!"</p><p>She raised an eyebrow at him as he smiled nervously.</p><p>"Really? Also, you're 'punishment' comes later." She stated.</p><p>He nodded in response. The idea wasn't terrible to him. He thought maybe they might be moving too quickly, but they were considered adults and soon they would be licensed to work the career they wanted. Maybe getting their life started wouldn't be so bad if they started now?</p><p>"Yes, I swear Weiss."</p><p>She smiled at his words. She knew he was being sincere. He could be a real asshole when he wanted to be, but his words were enough for her to believe him.</p><p>"Good." She stated as she continued to pull him closer. "And my name is Babe."</p><p>She pulled him into her lips for another kiss as they laid there on together on the couch.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo The tale of Neptune has ended. OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby and Yang wandered the streets of downtown Vale in a sour mood. They had explored just about every hotel they could with hopes of finding Jaune with no results. They had exhausted almost every option that the network had offered to them.</p><p>"He's really going to get away, isn't he?" Ruby commented.</p><p>She couldn't believe it. He had found a way out of this mess and he was going to succeed in uploading the video. Once he did that, it was game. They would have to stop the pursuit and he could blackmail them into releasing the others and never harming them again, or at least until graduation happened.</p><p>She sighed as she looked over at Yang who was crossing hotels off the list they had made at the apartment earlier. She could see her sister was exhausted from this as well. She had been at this as long as Ruby had, and while she wanted to find Jaune, she wanted to kick Pyrrha's ass even more so.</p><p>This whole night had been one crazy event after another. You could have played this whole scenario out to her earlier and she would have bet everything she owned that his would never had happened. Yet, here they were in downtown Vale looking for their drunk classmate and the boy she had licked several times over tonight.</p><p>She still couldn't believe she had done it, but she didn't regret it. His expression of surprise was well worth it, and if she got the chance one more time, he would not escape. There were a few things she wanted to say and do that were keeping her going. The others might not approve, especially after the shenanigans that had happened, but she didn't care. It was a means to an end.</p><p>"Well..." Yang stated. "That's all of them."</p><p>"What?" Ruby asked as she looked back at her sister.</p><p>"That's every hotel on the network in downtown Vale that we listed. We're out of options." She stated.</p><p>Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her plans were dashed and they were both screwed now. After everything that they had gone through, they reached a dead end. She growled as she thought of another smirk from the blond. She couldn't let him win.</p><p>Yang sat down on the corner they found themselves on and rubbed her legs. They had been to every hotel they could within a certain radius and asked staff if they had seen the boy. Usually, staff would protect a client's privacy, but the two had made a story up of the boy being "mentally handicapped", and a runaway, so they helped as much as possible.</p><p>Unfortunately, no one had reported seeing the blond or the obnoxious red-head that may be traveling with him. Ruby walked over to where her sister was sitting and took a seat beside her.</p><p>"He probably wised up and found a place off the network." Ruby commented. "He can be resourceful when he wants to be."</p><p>Ruby rested her head on her sister's shoulder as yang looked back at her with a smile.</p><p>"You really like him don't you?"</p><p>Ruby was startled by the question and made some weird noise similar to a "yelp" in response. It was all the confirmation Yang needed. She like Jaune and she knew he would be a good fit for Ruby. They were almost the same person, as scary as that was.</p><p>She patted Ruby's head as they sat there. She would cheer them on and even force the boy to take her on a date if she had to, but something told her she wouldn't have to force anything.</p><p>Ruby calmed herself as her sister rubbed her head. She wasn't denying it. Hell, she knew she liked Jaune. Her encounters within him tonight, though slightly helped by the alcohol, only confirmed that. She knew what she was doing, and she enjoyed it. Once she got the chance, he was going to talk to him about it, whenever that would be.</p><p>Ruby sighed as she looked down one of the streets as they sat there. The night sky and the streetlights were calming as they both sat there. That's when she noticed something. Something she had seen before. She stood up immediately, much to Yang's surprise who looked at her.</p><p>"Ruby?"</p><p>Her sister ignored her as she walked across the street. She walked towards the glow on the ground she had noticed while sitting there.</p><p>Yang stood up and followed her sister across the empty street. She watched as Ruby approached something and bent to the ground before picking it up. She tried to see what it was as she approached Ruby. Once she was next to her, she was able to see exactly what it was her sister was holding.</p><p>"Is... is that?..." Yang asked.</p><p>"It is." Ruby spoke as she held up an empty, dark blue bottle that sparkled in the light. "it's Lightning in a Bottle."</p><p>Both girls looked at each other and smiled. They both then looked over at the building it was sitting in front of. This was definitely a big break.</p><p>"Salem's Slumber Palace, huh?" Ruby asked as she licked her lips once again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Strawberry Cupcakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 18 – Strawberry Cupcakes (Final Story Chapter)</p><p>"Fuck." Jaune stated as he noticed the single bed. He cursed his luck and that creepy woman working behind the counter downstairs. While the computer was appreciated, what in the heck was he supposed to do about that the sleeping conditions for the night following the upload of the video? Pyrrha and himself were friends and even slept in the same room but NEVER the same bed.</p><p>He inwardly sighed. A problem for later, I suppose. He thought. Pyrrha continued her snoring as he walked with her, supporting her weight on his right side. She was light, which was good, but dead weight is annoying after a while.</p><p>He shut the door behind him after entering the room. He paced his way over to the bed as Pyrrha groaned in her drunken sleep. He debated going for the gentle let down on the bed, but honestly, he knew it wouldn't matter if he-</p><p>"Fuck it."</p><p>...Tossed her onto the bed. She landed on the bed unharmed and groaned slightly as she rolled onto her back. Jaune looked to his shoulder and saw drool covering his hoodie. His FAVORITE hoodie. He walked past Pyrrha and made his way to the restroom on the far side of the hotel room. Turning the light on upon entry, he walked over to the toilet tissue and bundled up a few pieces before ripping it from the holder. He began wiping away and the saturation in an annoyed hurry.</p><p>After discarding the paper into the trash, he walked back into the hotel room and noticed Pyrrha still sleeping. She had a stupid, but content, smile on her face. His eyes drifted down to her exposed stomach as it rose with every inhale and then to her chest, which did the same. He blushed slightly before shaking his head. The whole situation was just... awkward. Here he was, in some shady hotel, with a shady manager, with one of his best FEMALE friends, drunk as can be, as he is about to upload a video of her to the network for all to see if need be.</p><p>Jaune felt a tinge of guilt as he thought over the last part. Reaching into his pocket once again, he pulled out the small camera-car and looked it over. This tiny thing created such a big mess. It was still undamaged after all the trouble they had been through tonight. Was it some kind of sign?</p><p>"What do I do?" He spoke to himself.</p><p>He looked over at the computer as he thought to himself. Of course, Jaune didn't want to embarrass his friends, but he feared what waited for him if he gave in now. His friends had all sacrificed themselves for him to be here. Well, maybe not Ren. He thought. In any case, he had to at least make sure he was in position to hold all of the cards. If he could threaten Ruby and co. With the release of the video, he could by himself an escape and release of his friends. Oum only knew what was happening on that end.</p><p>He walked towards the computer and examined it. It appeared to be in decent condition and was promised access to the network. In the far corner of the computer tower was the POWER button. He pushed it inward and it started to boot up. The screen turned on and flashed white before the log-on process began.</p><p>Jaune grabbed the computer chair and sat down on it as he listened to Pyrrha continue to snore. As the monitor loaded the welcome screen, he logged onto the GUEST log-in. A few moments later, the desktop loaded. He removed the camera from the car, doing his best not to damage any parts. After removing it, he turned it over and saw the USB port on the back of it. Once again looking at the tower of the computer, he found the plug-in for the USB port. He took the camera USB and plugged it directly into the tower then after. He saw as the USB stick began to flash a bright blue color after being inserted.</p><p>He sat there for a moment, looking back at the screen and saw his cursor giving a time glass alert. Soon after, a screen booted up. Unfortunately... it was one he wasn't expecting. He frowned as read in his mind what was on the screen.</p><p>'SOFTWARE INSTALLATION REQUIRED. WILL YOU SET IT UP?'</p><p>"Oum... Why do you hate me?"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Ruby examined the shady hotel as she walked towards it. She hooked the empty blue bottle she had found moments ago onto her belt. It would prove to be a nice trophy for later. The night was quiet, and people that had once crowded the streets were now all but gone.</p><p>She looked to her left to see Yang approaching her, walking with her motorcycle. They exchanged a smile. Ruby elected to stay there and monitor the place as Yang went to retrieve her vehicle. Yang opted to walk her bike down the street in case Jaune was in a room nearby with an open window. They did not want him getting away again. Stealth was key.</p><p>Yang parked the bike off the road in a side alley before walking over to Ruby.</p><p>"Anything happen?"</p><p>"Sir!, No, sir!" Ruby replied with a serious face.</p><p>Yang laughed at her sister's antics and rubbed her head. They walked over to the gate of the property, taking in the scenery of the basic hotel. It had a pool in the front part with several chairs surrounding it. It seemed almost like a vacation spot than anything. The pool was obviously empty at this point, and most tenants were most likely asleep.</p><p>The gate squeaked behind them as they walked down the path. The plan was similar to all the others. They would speak to someone at the desk, talk about how they lost their handicapped friends, and then ask to see where he is. What could go wrong?</p><p>They walked down to the check-in room at the far end of the property. They looked inside to see no one was there. They surveyed before entering. The light was on and the places was supposedly staffed 24/7, so where could-</p><p>"Welcome to Salem's Slumber Palace where you get the rest that you deserve. I am Salem. How can I help you?"</p><p>The two girls jumped frantically as the voice came from behind them. They turned to see a short, pale woman with piercing red eyes and dark pupils. She seemed scary by her face, but the smile she gave was receptive.</p><p>"Holy crap lady, you trying to scare us?!" Yang nearly yelled in response.</p><p>The woman rose an eyebrow slowly as she looked over the blond and took in her response.</p><p>"Sorry, blondie. I didn't know you were so jumpy."</p><p>"Blondie?" Yang questioned. "Okay lady, where's the manager?"</p><p>"You're looking at her. I am Salem, as I stated."</p><p>Yang retracted herself slightly as she coughed. Ruby continued to watch the exchange with an awkward smile.</p><p>"A-Anyway," Ruby began. "We're looking for a friend of ours."</p><p>The pale woman turned her head and looked over the silver-eyed girl. She appeared innocent enough and almost child-like. Something about her made the older woman smile as she listened to her speak.</p><p>"Oh? Who would that be?" Salem answered.</p><p>Yang took the time to interject with a firm throat clear, drawing Salem's attention back to her. She looked over the blond girl again who seemed apologetic for her rudeness earlier.</p><p>"He's a blond. Kinda tall. Goofy looking. Mostly awkward." Yang replied.</p><p>"Oh," Salem responded. "You mean Romeo?"</p><p>"Romeo?" Both girls asked simultaneously.</p><p>"That's not his real name. I called him that because he had that girl hanging all over him when he got here."</p><p>"WHAT GIRL?!" Ruby exclaimed.</p><p>Salem and Yang looked at her in surprise as she saw the girl who seemed innocent earlier now yelling and threatening to wake up her other guests. She emitted a growl after her statement and had a look of irritation clearly on her face.</p><p>"The uh... redhead?" Salem answered.</p><p>Ruby blinked a few times and sighed. Yang just laughed at her sister's response. The pale woman seemed uneasy at this whole thing but calmed down, nonetheless. Ruby again adorned the innocent smile that Salem had seen earlier as she rubbed the back of her head.</p><p>"S-Sorry. She's a friend of ours too. I forgot she might be with him as well."</p><p>Salem blinked a few times and chuckled to herself. "Oh, I see. In any case, if you're talking about the blond and the obnoxiously drunk redhead, then yes, I have seen them."</p><p>"Yep." Both girls stated in unison again.</p><p>"I see." Salem stated as she opened the door to the check-in room. "Unfortunately, I cannot just divulge information of any clients that stay here."</p><p>The girls followed her into the room and let the door shut. They watched as she slowly walked behind the counter and sat at the desk. They approached the desk together with inquisitive eyes as she smiled.</p><p>"You don't understand. You see, he's not with it mentally and-"</p><p>"You can save the excuses." Salem said as she waved an outreached hand in front of them. "I cannot give you any information about any clients, as I stated."</p><p>"Why not?" Ruby asked.</p><p>Salem sighed as she put her hand down. She looked at the innocent girl and saw the sadness now on her face. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she had seen these eyes before.</p><p>"I am sorry, but this is a confidential hotel." Salem responded.</p><p>"Confidential?" Yang asked as she rose an eyebrow.</p><p>"Yeah," Salem rose an eyebrow back at the girl in response. "This place is what you people like to call a 'Love Hotel.' As such, secrecy is most important, friend or not."</p><p>Yang and Ruby just stared at the woman in disbelief. Jaune? At a Love Hotel? The idea was pure lunacy. Not to mention, with Pyrrha. The whole thing just didn't make sense. Or maybe it did. Is this why you couldn't search for this place on the network? And why was this creepy lady running it?</p><p>"I'm sorry." Ruby stated. "But I think you have the wrong idea about those two."</p><p>"Is that so?" Salem inquired.</p><p>"Yes ma'am. Those two are partners on the same team. They're not lovers. Not at all."</p><p>"They seemed pretty close to me. He was all but carrying her as they made their way up the stairs to their one bed, room."</p><p>Ruby's eye twitched slightly at the last comment. One bed? She thought. She had to take a deep breath before she continued. She could feel her insides turning as she had to wipe the mental image from her mind.</p><p>Salem inwardly chuckled at the girl's response. She could see it. It was written all over her face how smitten she was over this boy. Maybe she should end this charade?</p><p>"They are close. As PARTNERS. They're good FRIENDS. But they are not LOVERS." Ruby responded as calmly as possible.</p><p>Ruby's arms shook in frustration as she grew irritated with the conversation. She may have had doubts about Pyrrha and Jaune having a deeper type of relationship in the past, but she knew they were never growing past the friendship that they had now. Of course, everyone had doubts and she didn't want to think on this.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at the white faced, white-haired woman who now stood behind the counter staring at her sister and herself. Was she trying to annoy her? Was she trying to provoke her in some way? In any case, it was working.</p><p>The stare down continued for several more seconds before Salem offered a boring sigh. Ruby relaxed in response and raised an eyebrow as she saw Salem wave both of them over to her.</p><p>Ruby looked to her sister who shrugged her shoulders and made her way to the desk. Ruby followed shortly after, wondering what this was about now. She approached the desk, still slightly apprehensive, which was evident on her face. Salem offered a playful smile and shook her head as Ruby continued to stare at her.</p><p>"Sorry girl." She started. "You reminded me of a girl from years ago that looked just like you. She had the same demeanor. I was just having a little fun."</p><p>"Someone that looked-"</p><p>"In any case," Salem interrupted her. "I can tell how sincere you are. I do believe you."</p><p>Ruby smiled at the response she was given. "So then you'll help-"</p><p>"I cannot directly help you." Salem interrupted again.</p><p>Yang was the next to become irritated with the situation after receiving the answer. She slammed a hand on the counter, forcing the other two to look her way. The noise reverberated throughout the room, but caused no damage to the nice countertop.</p><p>"Look lady, we can't keep playing these games. It's great you believe us, but then help us out."</p><p>Salem smiled again at the other sister. "I cannot directly help you... However, I still want to."</p><p>"So?" Ruby asked, confused more than ever.</p><p>Salem sighed as she reached under the countertop, searching for something. She smiled as she grabbed a hold of whatever it may have been as the girls looked on. A few seconds later, she moved her hand back to the countertop and revealed a keycard. The girls looked at it and saw the word "MASTER" engraved on it.</p><p>Salem left the card on the counter and began walking away as the girls looked at her. She made her way towards the hallway on her side of the counter. She stopped right before the edge of the doorway and looked over her shoulder.</p><p>"I could always misplace my card for a few moments while I file some paperwork. You'll be looking for room 212." She stated.</p><p>She then turned her head back and made her way down the hall without waiting for their response. She disappeared soon after leaving the girls alone in the room. They looked at each other and smiled. Ruby swiped the card off the counter quickly. She turned and walked towards the exit of the room with Yang with a confident smile on her face.</p><p>It was time.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>Jaune held in another scream as the software was finally installed. He hated computers. Technology was nothing but evil. Look at what one car had done to his friends and himself tonight. Evil. As he watched the screen, he saw the video file was finally being uploaded following the installation... at a slow rate.</p><p>Jaune's eye twitched as he watched the remaining time of 14 minutes flash on the screen. He rubbed the sides of his head as he leaned back in the computer chair. At least that part is over. He thought. He looked back at the screen to watch the upload, still feeling guilty about what was happening. He had made up his mind about this though as he installed the software.</p><p>He would upload the video just to this computer, send the video to the girls and buy his friends freedom. Afterwards, he would delete everything and not mass message it throughout the network like the others had threatened. He would have to be a true showman to pull it off, but he knew he couldn't send this out.</p><p>"I just hope they buy it..." Jaune spoke to himself.</p><p>"Buy what?" A voice from right behind him spoke.</p><p>He turned to see Pyrrha standing above him, droopy-eyed. He nearly jumped at the surprise but calmed himself. Pyrrha had been a handful for everyone tonight and her elusiveness was really starting to wear on him.</p><p>"N-Nothing..." Jaune stated. He knew she was too drunk to even know where she was right now, but he didn't want to bring up what he was doing regardless. The less she knew, the better.</p><p>Pyrrha looked down at the tower of the computer and noticed the glowing blue light. Jaune followed her eyes to where she was looking and stared back at her face as he squinted his eyes. He noticed how enticed she was at the blue light.</p><p>"Don't." he stated clearly.</p><p>"But it looks like-"</p><p>"Pyrrha, don't touch it. It's very important."</p><p>"But it looks like my drinky drink... Except it's a blinky blink!"</p><p>Jaune rubbed his head again in frustration. This drunk girl was going to take all his mental fortitude. Why couldn't she just stay asleep? Unfortunately, he knew getting into a physical altercation with her would not prove wise. Pyrrha was a strong girl and forcing her to not touch the flash drive was not going to work. He was going to have to outsmart her, but how?</p><p>GROWLLLLLLL.</p><p>Jaune blinked at the loud noise he just heard. He looked over at Pyrrha as he heard the noise again. It was coming from her. More obviously, her stomach. That's when the plan formed in his head.</p><p>"Hey, Pyrrha." He started. "You hungry still?"</p><p>Pyrrha rubbed her stomach at her growling. Her eyes shot up to meet his as he spoke. They lit up like green emeralds, sparkling in the light.</p><p>"Yes!" She exclaimed with a smile on her face.</p><p>Pyrrha jumped around while smiling as Jaune sighed with a smile on his face. He looked back at the screen and saw the wait time was still 12 minutes. He stood up from the chair and pushed it in. He looked at her dancing around still as he walked towards the hotel room door.</p><p>"Okay. I'll go get you something, but you have to promise not to touch that, okay?" Jaune asked.</p><p>"Okay!" She stated as she continued to jump around, before diving onto the bed.</p><p>Jaune smiled as he opened the door to leave. He could have sworn he heard Pyrrha's snoring behind him as he walked out and made his way to the vending area. She was nothing but a surprise tonight.</p><p>Jaune walked slowly as he enjoyed the quiet of the night. The first bit of alone time he had since his pizza adventure earlier that had ended in another chase. The night air was cool and refreshing. He didn't get a chance to truly enjoy this summer evening weather with all that had happened.</p><p>He turned a corner at the end of the walkway and found the small vending machine he was looking for. He approached it and saw what was inside. The options were limited but looked good enough. He noticed one thing that caught his eyes as he noted the selections.</p><p>"Strawberry cupcakes..." He spoke. "Well, it's not cake like she wanted, but I'm sure she'll take it."</p><p>Jaune withdrew the money from his wallet and inserted it into the machine. He pressed a few buttons and the cupcakes dropped to the vending door at the bottom. He looked over at the machine next to him that had beverages.</p><p>He knew Pyrrha probably shouldn't have anything carbonated after the drinks she had earlier. It was kind of amazing she wasn't puking right now, but knew soda wasn't going to help her case. He looked at the very bottom and saw something odd.</p><p>"Strawberry milk, huh? Sure, why not."</p><p>He repeated the same transaction and the drink was dispensed as well. He took both items from their respective machines and made his way out of the vending area. He walked back to the room, once again enjoying the silence. He knew once he returned to the room, Pyrrha would start acting up again and he would have to deal with another headache. If he was lucky, the video will be uploaded, and he'd have one less problem and one added solution.</p><p>He made his way back to room 212 before scanning his card and re-entering the room. He looked to the bed and saw Pyrrha was indeed snoring as he had heard prior to leaving. He walked to the bed with the cupcakes and milk as he nudged her gently on her foot.</p><p>"Hey, Pyrrha I got your food." He spoke.</p><p>She continued to snore as he nudged her. He gave her an annoyed look as she laid there. How dumb did he look right now? He continued to nudge her as he tried to rouse her from her sleep.</p><p>"Damn you! Take your food!" He yelled.</p><p>Suddenly, the redhead shot up from the bed in a half-drunken stupor and placed Jaune in a death hold, forcing him to drop the food and drink to the floor. She pulled him to the bed as she kept her grip tight.</p><p>"P-Pyrrha, what the hell!" Jaune screamed as he tried to pull away.</p><p>He struggled against the girl's grip as he rolled around on the bed, messing up the blanket in the process.</p><p>"Let me go!" He continued to yell.</p><p>Pyrrha remained half asleep, even snoring lightly as she maintained he grip. He fought as much as he could, but her strength was inhumane. He breathed heavily as his hair was now disheveled, as was hers in the process. He didn't see any way out until she released her grip. He sighed again in frustration. How could this get any worse? He thought.</p><p>That's when he looked over at the hotel room door. It made a 'clicking' noise from the outside before it slowly creaked open. What he saw next was something he was not ready for.</p><p>"Fuck." He commented.</p><p>He felt the two sets of eyes on him. One was a set of confused purple eyes. They were trying to take in what they saw. The other? A set of silver eyes. Those eyes were large and twitching? Yes, definitely twitching. And angry... definitely angry.</p><p>Jaune's sweat was cold. He had several near encounters with death tonight, but this one was the worst of all.</p><p>"Well..." Yang spoke. "This is interesting."</p><p>She looked at her sister who was visibly angry. She could see the anger in her eyes as she was looking at the sight before her. Jaune and Pyrrha, tangled up, in a bed, and hair a mess. It was a scene that she thought she would never see.</p><p>"You're dead, Arc." Ruby spoke as she walked towards them.</p><p>"I can explain, please!" Jaune yelled.</p><p>Ruby chuckled an evil laugh as she marched towards him. Her eyes were now dark, and his words were falling on deaf ears. Soon, she stood above them as he continued to try and squirm free. She cracked her knuckles in preparation as she stared at him with evil intent.</p><p>"Any last words?" She spoke.</p><p>As she said that, Pyrrha finally woke from her slumber and released her grip. She looked over and saw Ruby standing above her and then to Jaune who she was previously gripping.</p><p>"IT'S MY CEREAL!" She yelled, as she jumped from the bed and tripped to the floor next to the computer, seemingly knocking herself out again.</p><p>Jaune looked back at Ruby after what had just happened and saw her still ready to attack. He put a hand out to try and state his case once more.</p><p>"Wait!" He yelled. "It wasn't what it looks like! I mean it!" Jaune tried.</p><p>"I'll give you one chance. Then you die." Ruby spoke.</p><p>Yang smirked at her sister from behind her as she remained in the doorway. She could tell Jaune was being sincere in his speaking and it was a misunderstanding, but after all the trouble he had put them through, especially her with the pizza grease incident, he was going to be on his own for this one.</p><p>Across the room, Pyrrha stirred awake again as she groaned quietly on the bedroom floor. It took her a few moments to adjust her eyes to her surroundings. She listened to a crying Jaune behind her, but her focus fell elsewhere.</p><p>In front of her was a blinking blue light she had been denied earlier. Her eyes mesmerized at the sight before her. She wanted it. No, she needed it.</p><p>"Shiny..." she spoke.</p><p>Back on the other side of the room, Ruby was still shaking as she listened to Jaune's story. After Pyrrha's actions tonight, she was inclined to believe him. She held Yang in a choke hold earlier and had only consumed more alcohol since then, so it was believable. Even so, she wasn't any less angry with him.</p><p>"So, you think you're innocent?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"Y-Yeah. It was her! All her!" Jaune pled.</p><p>"What about staying at a love hotel? Was that her idea too?" Ruby continued.</p><p>"Love what?" He replied blankly.</p><p>Yang laughed from behind Ruby causing both to look at her. She was loud, raucous even with her belly-laughing as she held herself.</p><p>"You accidentally found a love hotel." She spoke between laughs. "Oh, I can't wait to tell this part of the story."</p><p>Jaune felt embarrassed as that information sank in. He was in a love hotel with his teammate and he was none the wiser. I guess not being on the network had its reasons. After all, no one usually ants to advertise something like that.</p><p>"You've got to be kidding me." He spoke as he held his head in continued disbelief.</p><p>Yang continued to laugh as Ruby looked back at an almost traumatized Jaune. If the look on his face didn't prove his innocence, then nothing would. In a second, all her anger melted away and a smile was back on her face, followed by laughing of her own.</p><p>What a goofball. She thought as she laughed.</p><p>Jaune listened to both girls now laugh at him as he sa there on the bed. He was red in the face and had been made a fool of. That's when a thought came to him.</p><p>The video.</p><p>He stopped his traumatization for a moment and adorned a smile of his own. He laughed lowly as both girls stopped and looked over at him inquisitively. What could be so funny for someone in his position? After all, he was about to be whooped.</p><p>"Got something to say there, Jauney-boy?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>"Oh, you bet your ass I do!" He spoke loudly with confidence.</p><p>He moved himself off the bed and stood before them with a shit-eating grin. The girls just looked back at him and blinked at his actions.</p><p>"You both have some phone calls to make." he spoke again.</p><p>"Phone calls?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"That's right." He replied. "I want the release of Sun, Ren, and Neptune or else."</p><p>"Or else what?" Yang asked.</p><p>He sighed with a calm smile as he pointed in the direction of the computer behind him. The girls looked over at the computer screen that was on and knew what he was talking about immediately. They looked back at him with wide eyes and a look of distress. Now it was his turn to laugh at their despair.</p><p>"Or else that video I uploaded is going live to everyone we know." jaune replied.</p><p>"Y-You didn't! You can't!" Ruby yelled as she stomped her foot towards him.</p><p>"I don't want to, so please don't force me to."</p><p>"You're not getting away with what you did!" yang yelled also.</p><p>"I will do whatever it takes to make sure they're okay and ensure my freedom. Sorry, but I won this time."</p><p>Ruby and Jaune stared each other down as Yang also kept her eyes on him. She would describe his smile as 'shit-eating' if she had to put a real description on it. But it seemed the blond was right in this instance. They were going to have to do what he said.</p><p>"I guess we should call now." Yang spoke as Ruby looked back at her in disbelief.</p><p>"Now's good." Jaune replied. "Before would have been better, but before is gone."</p><p>Yang pulled out her scroll as she shook with anger. After everything they did, they had lost this fight in the end. Who'd of thought that Jaune would wind up being successful despite everything that had happened. It was almost laughable. Almost.</p><p>Ruby removed her scroll from her pocket as well. She was so close to having him cornered. So close it made her want to cry as she continued thinking. That's when her thought of crying became reality. Not from her... but from Pyrrha?</p><p>All three of them looked across the room as they saw Pyrrha walk towards them crying. She made her way over to Ruby and began crying into her shoulder as Ruby remained confused about the whole situation. Jaune and Yang looked at each other as the girl continued to cry.</p><p>"Hey, what's wrong Pyrrha?" Ruby asked as she was uncomfortable with the situation.</p><p>"The blinky..." Pyrrha replied.</p><p>"The blinky?" Ruby answered.</p><p>Jaune' eyes went wide as he realized what she had just said. With unfathomable speed, his head turned towards the direction of the computer. He could feel the life leave his body as he noticed the flash drive was not plugged in. He ran towards the computer and began examining the floor to try and locate it as quick as possible.</p><p>"Wh-Where is it?!" Jaune asked in distress. "Pyrrha, where is the blinky?!"</p><p>Pyrrha continued to cry as she showed it in her hand. The two girls beside Pyrrha noticed what she was holding and their eyes went wide with surprise.</p><p>"I grabbed it and it stopped blinking." Pyrrha continued to cry. "I KILLED THE BLINKY!"</p><p>Her cries turned to wails as she remained attached to Ruby's shoulder. Ruby patted her head in response, trying to console her drunken friend. Yang took the chance to snatch the flash drive from Pyrrha's hand who was all too busy being upset to care about the precious, non-blinking, blinky.</p><p>Jaune was speechless as he saw the flash drive be taken by Yang.</p><p>The upload! He thought.</p><p>Looking back at the screen, he tried to get a status of the upload. With the flash drive removed, he had hopes that the upload at least had finished. That's when he saw the message.</p><p>UPLOAD FAILED: 99% PROCESSING.</p><p>Jaune couldn't believe what happened. He couldn't look away from the screen as he realized what this meant. He was fucked. His friends were fucked. Everything was fucked.</p><p>He looked back at the three girls on the other side of the room. He watched as Ruby and yang slowly put their scrolls away and smiled once again.</p><p>"Something wrong, Jaune?" Ruby asked mockingly.</p><p>Jaune looked to his right near the bathroom and saw the window. It was a risk, but he had no other recourse. He made a move for the window as fast as he could and even got to opening it, but before he could put a foot out, he was snatched backwards by Ruby who used her semblance in time to stop his escape, throwing him to the floor.</p><p>"No window escape this time." She spoke.</p><p>Jaune looked over with pleading eyes at yang who was now holding Pyrrha, who was quietly whimpering in her arms. She stared back at him with a grin of her own. She had a plan.</p><p>"Hey, Rubes." Yang stated forcing her sister to look at her.</p><p>"What's up, Yang?" Ruby asked.</p><p>"I'm going to help Pyrrha here sober up. After that, I'm going to take this flash drive back to Neptune's apartment and see what they have on here exactly. Why don't you take care of our friend here."</p><p>Jaune shook his head in protest at Yang as she began to walk out of the room with a once again, unconscious Pyrrha. Once outside, she turned back to see Jaune's look of despair one more time before she closed the door behind her as she muttered one last thing.</p><p>"Pizza grease sure is slippery, huh?"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The door closed behind Yang as she smiled to herself. I'm so cool. She thought. She looked over at her unconscious friend that she wanted to kill more times then she could count tonight. Unfortunately, she was the MVP of the night by snatching the flash drive away before Jaune could upload anything on it.</p><p>Sure, it may have been unintentional, but she still saved their asses in the end. Yang made her way down the hotel steps with Pyrrha as she was careful not to trip with her. She made her way passed the manager's office and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the keycard she was given earlier and placed it in the mailbox that was on the door before continuing to walk.</p><p>From inside the room, unbeknownst to Pyrrha or Yang, was Salem sitting at the counter. She smiled as she saw the two walk towards the exit of the property.</p><p>Just as I thought it would happen. She thought.</p><p>A few moments later, Pyrrha and Yang closed the gate behind them. Yang brought Pyrrha over to her motorcycle and slowly helped her into the sidecar and placed a helmet on her as her body was limp. She laughed at her incapacitated passenger as she got on the driver's side of the bike.</p><p>She started the vehicle up and began to drive out of the alleyway and drive off into the night.</p><p>"First stop... a diner." She spoke to herself, or at least she thought.</p><p>"Can we have cake?" Pyrrha asked.</p><p>Yang looked over at her in surprise as she somehow was awake again. Her eyes were shut, but she was able to hear her voice. Nothing but surprises. She thought.</p><p>"Yes, Pyrrha... We can have cake." Yang replied.</p><p>"Good. Jaune made me wait forever." Pyrrha replied. "Also, I-"</p><p>She was unable to finish that sentence as the puke that everyone had been waiting for had finally happened. Pyrrha leaned over the edge of the cart as she let out everything that was within her stomach, and then some. Yang stared in horror as her bike was slightly covered in the vomit her friend was spewing. Suddenly, her anger was returning as she let out one last scream in between her swerving on the road now.</p><p>"YOU'RE SUCH A DRUNK BITCH!"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo The tale of Yang and Pyrrha has ended. OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>The door closed behind Yang as Jaune watched it from the bedroom floor. The door sealed tightly, like his impending fate. He looked back at Ruby, who looked back at him. He stood up slowly and began backing away toward the door to gain some ground. She followed with each footstep he made.</p><p>"How did you find me?" He asked, still backing away.</p><p>She stopped for a second and smiled. She undid her cape and turned slowly for him to see. Attached to her belt was that dreaded, empty blue bottle.</p><p>"You dropped something outside of this place." She stated, still smiling.</p><p>"Lightning in a Bottle..." Jaune spoke. "Oum damn it, Pyrrha."</p><p>He hit the wall behind him without noticing, causing himself to look over his shoulder to see he had run out of room. As he looked back to the front of him, he noticed Ruby had unhooked her belt with the bottle and let it drop to the ground. She made a slow, methodical stroll towards him, closing the gap.</p><p>Jaune reached for the doorknob that was fingertips away, only to have it denied as Ruby leaned in on his chest and held his arm, placing it on her back, essentially holding her as she held him in place. She leaned her head against his chest as he stood their awkwardly.</p><p>"Your heart is beating fast." She stated. "Something on your mind?"</p><p>Jaune felt vulnerable. On one hand, he had a beautiful girl in his arms, but at the same time, he knew she was just going to torture him un-Oumly before beating him for his actions.</p><p>"I-I'll scream." He stated with a wavering voice.</p><p>Ruby looked up at him, her eyes sparkling more than ever as she grinned ear to ear.</p><p>"You'll scream for me? Really?"" She replied.</p><p>Jaune was caught off-guard by this. His final attempt to try and get away had been foiled and he knew it. Ruby had sent him these weird, mixed signals all night. He thought she was just drunk and tormenting him, but all the while, he had this strange feeling that she was hitting on him as well. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He had little to no confidence or experience with girls, but now he was trapped here with one.</p><p>She'd licked him, threatened him with milk dousing, and also threatened violence. She was a true mystery, like most women. She continued to stare at him as he stared back at her. She licked her lips, causing the hair on his neck to stand up. He was unsure what he was feeling, but he gulped as a response.</p><p>"Wh-What are you going to do?" Jaune squeaked out.</p><p>"Everything." Ruby replied.</p><p>Jaune raised an eyebrow to her one-word response.</p><p>"What does that m-"</p><p>Before he could finish, Ruby once again activated her semblance and with lightning speed moved them a few feet backwards to the bed. She slammed him to the mattress and straddled his waist as she held his arms. He was still confused but couldn't react to what had just happened. Now, he was in a different predicament all together.</p><p>Ruby breathed heavily over her prize she had won. She wanted this all night and she would not be denied again. Something within her had changed. She was still in control but she felt more assertive. She enjoyed teasing him. Mostly because he was dumb when it came to this stuff, but more because of the innocence factor, like hers.</p><p>She was still a young, inexperienced girl, but somehow the ongoings of tonight had placed them in this exact situation. She felt confident in what she was doing and had a feeling that he would reciprocate. Call it the red string of fate even.</p><p>She had no idea what to do next, but her body felt hot as she sat there. While this was new to her, she had ideas. Ruby thought most things like this were cringe, but she had a desire, a burning one.</p><p>Jaune looked up at Ruby and couldn't help but feel something as well. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but he kind of liked it. Her face was "hungry", if he had to describe it, but for something other than cookies and milk. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he didn't mind the girl of his dreams sitting on him. Sure, it made "certain places" act of their own volition beyond his control, but she had (hopefully) not noticed that.</p><p>The staring was more intense now. No matter how long she sat there, her breathing never stopped. He could feel her slightly grinding against his pelvis too, he thought. That's when a thought entered his head.</p><p>His eyes had drifted to where he thought he felt the movement. He took in all of her. Her black skirt, stockings, combat boots, even. More than anything he was mesmerized by her thighs and hips like he had been much earlier in the day. Her tight clothing and attractive, teenage body could drive any guy wild, but she was here and with him.</p><p>Wait... Is she-</p><p>"Jaune." Ruby spoke.</p><p>Jaune gulped as a response to her words breaking the awkward silence. He took his mind and eyes off her breathtaking hips to look her in the eyes again as she continued to stare at his face. He felt nervous again, unsure of what was happening, and his brain was firing different thoughts as he laid there, trapped.</p><p>"Y-Yeah?" He responded sheepishly.</p><p>He could see the red hue present on her face now. More and more he was piecing small thoughts together as he watched her and thought back on previous actions of the day. He had never been so confused in his life. She had been many playful interactions that he wrote off as her trying to mess with him or psyche him out.</p><p>But her actions now were more... deliberate and direct. He realized what she was doing and could even feel what was next. He relaxed on the bed in somewhat disbelief and realization as she continued to speak above him.</p><p>"You-" She attempted.</p><p>"I love you."</p><p>Stare.</p><p>"WHAT?!" Ruby exclaimed as she jumped backwards.</p><p>She caught her balance before she could fall off the edge of the mattress and gripped the sheet tightly. Her eyes were wide and that red hue on her face had not disappeared. Jaune sat up slowly and rubbed his arms as he looked to her with confident eyes.</p><p>The rolls had almost been reversed in a matter of moments as she was now confused and shocked as he looked at her. She was still breathing heavy, but in a different sense.</p><p>"I said," He began. "That I love you, Ruby."</p><p>Ruby brought one hand up and gripped her chest as she looked away, presumably out of embarrassment. Jaune felt nervous at the words he mindlessly spoke and even when you're 99% sure of a situation, that 1% is always lingering in the back of your mind. He wouldn't back down now, though.</p><p>The whole, Operation: Attack RWBY had placed them on opposite sides of the battlefield, but due to that, Ruby and himself were alone now for the first time in a long time. If he did not tell her his feelings now, he might not get another chance before they graduated and moved on to their careers as a Huntsman and Huntress.</p><p>"Why would you say that?" Ruby asked, still looking away from him.</p><p>"Because it's the truth." He responded quickly.</p><p>She looked back at him slowly, still shocked by his comments. Ruby could kill Grimm and kick just about anyone's ass. But this conversation and those words were new ground for her, and while she was excited, possibly more than ever, she was uncomfortable.</p><p>She thought on her own actions from tonight and saw a girl that wanted to voice those same thoughts but were unsure. She decided to unconsciously show them with and what she wanted to do. Yeah, she was drunk at one point, but doing those things with Jaune seemed... natural.</p><p>"How do you know that?" Ruby asked, now looking at him directly.</p><p>"I can't pretend I know what it's like to be in love with any woman." Jaune started. "But I'd like to think the thoughts I have about you and the feelings that come from those thoughts are love."</p><p>Jaune looked at her with a serious face. A serious face that frankly, she wasn't sure she had ever seen from him. He was usually goofy and awkward, but this was new. It was confident... and sexy. His blue eyes were glowing in the dim hotel light. She watched as he continued to speak.</p><p>"I know I've never said anything, so it's understandable if you don't get where this is coming from. In some ways, I don't know how or when it happened." He spoke with a smile. "But, somewhere along the lines of being friends, I felt something more for you." He was now gripping his chest over his own heart. The warmth in his chest forcing him to speak his mind fully. "I've never felt this way about anyone and when you're away or when I cannot see you, I get this feeling of dread, I guess."</p><p>Ruby looked on at him, hanging off every word. She was never great with words and she assumed that Jaune wasn't either. He had surprised her once again. Here he was, confessing to her of all things as she sat there speechless, mouth now agape. She could even feel tears forming slowly in the corners of her eyes.</p><p>"The only thing that I can think of when you're gone is when will I see you next? And when I do see you, I have this feeling of lightheadedness, I guess." He was now rubbing his head and looking down, trying to put his emotions into words to continue. He knew he had to finish what he was saying. "So, what I want to say is... I think, no... I know that I'm in love with you Ruby Rose. And even if-"</p><p>His confession was cut short by another tackle from Ruby as she held him to the bed, arms linked around his neck and her face buried into his chest.</p><p>"H-Hey, I wasn't done ta-"</p><p>At that moment, her lips smashed against his in a passionate, warm kiss. He had no time to react to the wet feeling he was now having but did his best to reciprocate the action. His eyes remained opened as hers were closed with a thin line of tears streaming down.</p><p>They were both inexperienced and new to the world of kissing, but the intensity of the kiss was natural and intimate. It continued for minutes. There was no separation, no thought of oxygen needed as they kept going. Almost naturally, Jaune used his now-free arms to wrap around her petite frame, eliciting a small moan and shudder from Ruby.</p><p>Her reaction to him, only made him hungrier as he began to almost bite at the lips. She returned the action herself, much to his surprise, causing a moan of his own that he showed no embarrassment over. He waited for her to try it again and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her eyes bulged in surprise, but he didn't stop his actions, taking in every crevice of her mouth.</p><p>How daring. She thought.</p><p>She felt the need to one-up him and began raking her teeth against his tongue gently as a response, but she didn't stop there. Using one of her hands that were looped behind his neck, she gripped his hair and forced the kiss even closer. He groaned in shock as she stared at his response and just as he stopped moving his tongue to take in what was happening, she forced hers into his mouth.</p><p>It was almost like a stimulus overload for Jaune. Her work was outdoing his own. Granted, she started this make-out session, but he was still amazed by it.</p><p>After several continued minutes of mouth warfare, the two finally separated for air, gasping as if they had just suffocated. Ruby sat up and leaned back on the palms of her hands, while still straddling his waist once again. Jaune stared up at the ceiling light, panting intensely. His eyes traveled to Ruby as her chest heaved up and down.</p><p>He tried his best to not think of anything naughty, lest the feeling in his groin grow further as its location was already dangerous and may not reflect well on him. After catching his breath, he relaxed under her as she panted a little longer.</p><p>"I guess that's a 'me too'?" He asked her playfully.</p><p>She caught her breath and looked back at him. Her serious, silver eyes stared at his smiling face as she returned the smile.</p><p>"Yes." She stated. "I've had these pent-up feelings for you for so long. At first, I didn't know what they were, but this past day has had me reflect more and more on everything. I've felt so many things today, and I've had a lot of fun playing with you."</p><p>"Not nice." He responded blankly.</p><p>"But," She continued. "I've never felt so connected to someone before. I never thought I'd fall in love with anyone. I've always wanted to be free and fight Grimm. But now I see what becoming an adult is like." She stared at his face as their eyes met once more. "I want a life with you. Of course, I still have my dreams and want to be a Huntress, but I want to be with you more... I love you, too."</p><p>He smiled up at her as she continued speak. Her tears were stopping now as she regained control of her emotions. Jaune could feel his own forming, though. He had always been a sensitive guy. It was one of his most endearing qualities that she enjoyed about him.</p><p>He forced himself up from the bed, keeping her in his lap. This time, he engaged her with a passionate kiss. It was gentle and not as sloppy as the one they had just previously shared, but still as loving. He broke away after a few seconds and smiled at her, gripping her shoulders now.</p><p>"I love you, Ruby."</p><p>"I love you, Vomit boy."</p><p>He sighed as he dropped his head between his chest and hers. "That again? Can't you give me a better name?" He asked.</p><p>She laughed at his response. "Okay then, how about Jauney-boy?"</p><p>"No." He stated as he looked at her with a serious face before dropping his head and sighing again. She giggled at the boy's antics as he moved her to the side. He stood up from the bed and stretched, feeling a sense of relief for the first time and happiness for the first time tonight.</p><p>He knew that he'd probably have some sort of consequence he'd have to pay for what had happened eventually, but this newfound connection between himself and Ruby outweighed any of that. He smiled as he spoke, facing the door.</p><p>"Guess, we should head back now." He stated.</p><p>After that, he felt a hand clasp his from behind. He looked back as he saw Ruby, red-faced again, not looking him in the eyes with a sly smile of her own.</p><p>"Actually..."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>WARNING: THE M RATING IS HERE. PLEASE FAST FORWARD TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU WISH TO SKIP THIS PART. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED FOR THE FINAL TIME. LEMON INCOMING.</p><p>"Actually..." She stated.</p><p>He looked back at her with a baffled face as she moved her legs back and forth, squirming in place.</p><p>"Actually?" He questioned.</p><p>"I want you... I want to..."</p><p>"I want you too, Ruby. We just talked-"</p><p>"I want you to make me a woman!" She blurted out, still avoiding his eyes.</p><p>He stood there looking at her with a dumb look on his face for a few moments, trying to take in what she was asking of him.</p><p>"WH-WHAT?!" He nearly yelled as he broke her grip and backed up a few feet.</p><p>"I want you to make me a woman." She stated again, this time looking back at him with a determined face. "I want to have sex."</p><p>It was Jaune's turn to be embarrassed. A few minutes ago, his presumable now girlfriend couldn't form sentences, and now she was asking him for... for that?! Jaune could feel his breath hitching as he gave her idea some thought. Sure, he had thought of it before. He was a guy after all, but having her say it to him was still, well shocking to say the least.</p><p>He looked over at her, and the look on her face. She was serious about this. Her face was still somewhat red from what she was asking, but he knew she truly meant it.</p><p>"Ruby, I..." He started. "We just confessed to each other, and so our emotions are kind of high. I don't want to do this because of the wrong reasons. I love you, and trust me I want that, but we-"</p><p>"We love each other, that's all we need," She interrupted. "I know it's quick, but this isn't some one-night stand. We are adults. Responsible adults... kind of."</p><p>"But what if you... What if we-"</p><p>"I take birth control." She stated. "I have for years, same as my sister and the others. It's natural for a girl to do that for different reasons."</p><p>"Different reasons?" He asked.</p><p>She sighed at his response. "Look, I'm not getting into all that. What's important is that I want us to be connected forever. I want you to be my first and I want to be yours."</p><p>"How do you know, you're my first?" He asked her.</p><p>She flattened her eyes at his response. "Really?" She asked.</p><p>He gulped at her response as he rubbed his head again. "Y-Yeah, you're right."</p><p>She stood up from the bed and walked towards him as she had earlier when she was trying to seduce him. She loosened her corset as she took strident steps towards him. His eyes were side as saucers again as she seemed confident in her actions. Her gloves were dropped to the wayside just as her belt and cape were earlier.</p><p>She approached him as he stood there as stoic as possible. He couldn't believe what she was doing. As she closed the gap, she once again pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.</p><p>"I want this." She spoke between the kissing. "And I think you do, too."</p><p>He relaxed as they continued to kiss. She had a point, and it's not like he could run off even if he wanted to. She was a genius when it came to tracking him down, Oum for bid they didn't work out. But... he knew they would. Jaune wasn't really a believer in destiny, but he knew this was right. And there was nothing they didn't know about each other. They were already intimate without being intimate.</p><p>"Okay." He stated. "And whatever happens, I'll take responsibility. But you don't have to feel pressured. We have all the time in the world now."</p><p>"No, I want to! I really, really...really want to..."</p><p>He seemed unconvinced so she did the most persuasive thing a woman could do in a situation like this.</p><p>She grabbed his package.</p><p>"WHOA!" He cried, jumping back a little from the harsh shock. She hadn't exactly been gentle, but he didn't dislike it. "D-Did you just-"</p><p>He went to grab at her but she ducked under his arms with a shriek, laughing as she ran to the other side of the room. She tried to jump up over the king-sized bed but a hand closed around her ankle and tugged hard enough to have her falling face-forward into the mattress.</p><p>"Oh no! Help!" She cried playfully into the otherwise empty hotel room as two large hands roughly turned her on her back. She came face to face with the man towering over her, half-crawled on the bed and propped up by his arms.</p><p>"Do you have any idea what you've done, little girl?" He growled out with a dark leer. His eyes raked over her gasping form, "Now I have no choice but to punish you!"</p><p>The words had her giggling even before he assaulted her with wiggling fingers, attacking her underarms and sides.</p><p>"Stop! Stop!" She cried pitifully, twisting and turning to the best of her ability; his knees were doing a good job of squeezing her hips in place and her arms were occupied with fending off his attack.</p><p>And then he was kissing her.</p><p>He made sure it was a slow kiss—open mouthed so that she could catch her breath. She responded accordingly; her arms wrapped around his neck and her knees eased down over the edge of the bed so that he could settle more comfortably on top of her.</p><p>It wasn't long before one of his hands began inching its way under her shirt; the large palm was warm but the fingers colder, leaving an interesting sensation crawling along the smooth skin of her stomach. The lightweight corset and shirt bunched at his wrist as he made his way to her ribs, grabbing at her slender frame and pulling her up closer to his body in a show of possession.</p><p>Ruby moaned as their bodies rubbed together. Her hands slid from his neck and down his chest, stopping at his hoodie. She pulled it off with a fierce yank, tossing it to the other side of the bed, joining her clothing. Next was his white t-shirt that joined the hoodie. She practically tore the shirt off his shoulders. It left him bare from the waist up.</p><p>Ruby was happy to see him try to repress a shiver as she took a moment to stare at his body with unveiled desire. His chest seemed golden, with wry muscles that cut against each other—the smallest movement caught with a strong ripple. It had to be the lighting, she decided.</p><p>Be it the alcohol or the ambiance, a heated spark had ignited within her abdomen. The area between her legs itched for a touch only he could provide and suddenly she just wanted his hands on her. She wanted her hands on him. Taking advantage of their cease-kissing, she crossed her arms, gripping the bottom of her shirt at opposite hips, and whipped it over her head, tossing the fabric somewhere over her shoulder.</p><p>"Damn Ruby..." Jaune murmured, his eyes raking over the white lacy bra that brought out the pink tones in her skin. He lifted his hands to touch her but she beat him to the punch, shooting up off the bed and all but throwing herself at his body. His skin was so warm—she wanted to touch him in every way imaginable; she wanted to explore his figure, seeing everything he had to offer.</p><p>"I want..."</p><p>His mouth was on hers again, his hot breath condensing on her lips.</p><p>"I want to..."</p><p>Her fingers tugged at the button on his pants and he faltered. She left his mouth in favor of the perfectly warm, smooth skin below his collarbone. She lapped at his chest, enjoying the clean, tepid taste of his skin. She could feel his pectorals shudder against her devilish lips and her hands began journeying his physique, covering what her mouth did not. His dark nipples hardened under her trailing fingertips and she smirked. Giving each one a playful tweak she was rewarded with Jaune whispering her name breathlessly.</p><p>Slowly, she made her way down his body, her knees bending in time with his zipper's decent by her left hand. By the time she was kneeling she had his pants pooled at his feet. She paused to dip her tongue in his bellybutton, licking along the ghostly wake of his seal, before dragging her nose through the velvety happy trail and down to the elastic waist of his boxers. The muscles between his hips contracted and knotted as she reached the obvious bulge; penis muscles, she believed was the common term for them, and his were nicely defined.</p><p>Her breath stilled for a moment as her fingers stayed hooked in the last of the barriers that kept the man she had been dreaming about for the last few years from being completely in the nude. Jaune was standing perfectly still, doing nothing to protest her actions, yet nothing to encourage her either. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye so she kept her gaze focused in front of her, determinedly sliding off the last of his clothing.</p><p>The thin material dropped to join the pants at his ankles and suddenly she was staring at the dark head of a fully erect penis. Soft blonde curls poked up around the base of his shaft and lightly covered the hanging testicles between in legs. Her arousal peeked as she brought a hand up and gently gripped the warm, hard flesh; the blood pulsing through the thick vein heated the palm of her hand further. Her fingers could barely wrap around the thick base and if she were to garner an estimate she would guess he was about five inches in circumference.</p><p>She felt a hand on her head and she glanced guiltily up at the man whose dick she was holding without permission. The smile he sent down was warm and understanding but she could also sense his uneasiness: his own fear of being judged. She wanted to assure him that he really had nothing to be ashamed of; it was hard to run across a body as beautiful as his.</p><p>She swallowed, her hand still holding his throbbing member as she whispered, "Please, I want to learn..."</p><p>She tried not to look away as the passion in his eyes amplified. How did he make them glow in the dim lighting like that? Perhaps it was a demon thing...</p><p>"Oh my God," he finally hailed after almost a full ten seconds of silent gaping, "Ruby, you were so hot when you just said that!"</p><p>She blushed and laughed a little, some of her nervousness washing away. Jaune would let her know what she was doing right and doing wrong, and hopefully he would use noises of approval when she hit the right spots just she did when he went down on her.</p><p>She nodded to herself resolutely. He had given her so much pleasure and she really wanted to return the favor...but seven inches were not going down her throat—maybe someday, but not this time. She'd just have to make up for it in other ways.</p><p>Keeping her grip on the base of his shaft, she tentatively stuck out her tongue and ran it up the underside and over the mushroomed head. He tasted much like the rest of his skin: clean and warm. But the musk of his arousal turned the taste into something much more virile and masculine. The hitch of breath delivered from overhead was encouraging...</p><p>She did it again, licking along every inch of the silken rod, coating it in her saliva, before putting the top half in her mouth. Almost immediately she felt a hand on her head, gripping into her locks with an intensity that said she was doing something right. She bobbled her head a few times, trying to take in more than four inches, but the effort in trying not to scrape it with her teeth caused her jaw to ache. After some experimenting she discerned that he seemed to respond well to attention directed at the head of his penis so, letting back a little and sparing her jaw some pain, she kept her lips fashioned around the thickset unit and flicked her tongue over the purpled mushroom quickly, stimulating the glands.</p><p>"D-do that again!" Jaune grunted, tightening his fingers in her hair. She complied, making sure to run the pink muscle along the slit, collecting bitter droplets of pre-cum. "Y-yeeahhh...ugh...that's it..."</p><p>Gaining confidence, she began to suck, concentrating blood to the already abused head. His response was gratifying in every sense as he groaned louder and bucked his hips, her name escaping his lips every now and then.</p><p>She was still sucking when she pulled out, producing a 'pop' sound. Panting from both her own arousal and the desire to make him feel good, she crouched under the glistening phallus and took the larger of the two balls into her mouth, creating suction. The hair was sparse along the stretched skin so it wasn't entirely unpleasant; she could feel that his testes were straining within their sack, full and ready to release. The tightly muscled thighs by her ears began to quiver as that time neared; his scent became so concentrated that she was dizzy.</p><p>Deciding to finish this once and for all, she went back to taking in as much of his length as she could while kneading the taut balls with inexperienced fingers. His hips started moving on their own accord and she quickly found that by relaxing her throat she could take a little more of him inside.</p><p>"Guh—Ruby!"</p><p>The back of her throat was blasted by the strong, bitter globs of his spunk. She pulled him out of her mouth, coughing a little as her eyes watered from the unexpected onslaught. She would probably have to work on that, but all in all she thought she did pretty well for her first blowjob.</p><p>"Sorry," Jaune puffed out sheepishly, trying to catch his breath, "I should have given you a better warning. But that...that was amazing..."</p><p>Ruby stood, wincing a bit at the soreness in her knees but blushing all the same at his praise.</p><p>"It's alright, that was kind of fun," She answered honestly, to which he raised an eyebrow in surprised delight. He really loved this girl.</p><p>The grin was back on his face as he stalked toward her. He set hands on her sides just under her ribs and delicately kissed her shoulder. Slowly using his lips to trail feather-light touches that left burning imprints on her heated skin, he moved up to her neck. His hands were ghosting along her body, tan fingers contrasted with the paleness of her back as they traced up her spine, stopping at the clip of her bra.</p><p>His mouth teasing her neck in ways that she didn't know were possible distracted her from the removing of her bra; it wasn't until the cold air swept over her nipples did she realize she was completely topless. He took in the view for a moment as a thought pooped into his head and out of his mouth at the same time. Her skirt came next; she had been so enthralled with the molasses pace he was putting on her body that she barely registered him undressing her.</p><p>Jaune leaned back to take a good look at her body, keeping a pleased smile on his face as he surveyed what she had to offer. The underwear had matched the bra, white and lacy and soaked with her excitement. And, while her breasts weren't particularly large by any means, hardly growing past a B-cup, they were full and pert and every bit perfect in Jaune's eyes.</p><p>"Strawberry cupcakes..." He mouthed quietly.</p><p>"What?!" She asked abruptly, causing her to cover up.</p><p>"I... Er, did I say that out loud?" He asked.</p><p>She relaxed and smiled at his answer. Goofy as always. She thought.</p><p>He told her a lot of things as he roamed her body with his lips and fingers, attending to her breasts as he would a priceless treasure, touching her with just enough pressure to leave her yearning for more. He mumbled how beautiful she was against the soft tresses of her hair. He whispered all the things he wanted to do to her into the space between her breasts. He declared everything she meant to him as he sucked just over the sill of her hip, leaving red welts. Goosebumps broke out over her arms and stomach; just his words could make her ache with need.</p><p>She closed her eyes in rapture. She felt her underwear being slid down her legs and she stepped out of the bunched silk dutifully.</p><p>It was only with mild surprise that she found that she didn't feel the least bit self-conscious as the last of her clothing was removed from her body. Perhaps it was because she was pushed off of sheer arousal or maybe because he had already seen her naked down there before. She felt so comfortable with him, like he was just another part of her. Was this what it was like to be truly in love?</p><p>Jaune kissed in an arch over the thatch of strait, black hairs; noting that they weren't curled like his. His hands kneaded the soft, white globes of her butt as he buried his nose into her pubes, letting her scent intoxicate him.</p><p>"I love you," He murmured, his breath tickling the wet lips of her vagina before he gave them a soft, loving peck as if they were the lips of her mouth. The entire atmosphere had Ruby in a tizzy. Biting her lip, she ran a hand through his hair, catching his attention.</p><p>"Now."</p><p>It was all she needed to say. He nodded and slowly rose, running his hands up the length of her body as he did so—it was his to touch as he pleased, after all, and he intended to take full advantage of that.</p><p>Her heartbeat sounded painfully loud within her head, the quick pace matched the flutter in her stomach as Jaune guided her backwards onto the bed. Laying her head to rest on a comforter-covered pillow, he crawled on top of her, spreading her legs and lowering his abdomen to hers.</p><p>"Ready?"</p><p>Ruby glanced down and saw he had his hand on his already hard shaft, poised at her entrance and waiting for her signal. Swallowing a bit, she looked into the eyes that hovered over her; the blue had darkened into royal cobalt and gleamed with such appreciation and passion that she felt completely safe. She nodded—she had been waiting for this moment, she was on birth control, there was nothing stopping this from happening.</p><p>The heated head penetrated first, followed by the rest as she swallowed his length inch by inch. It was a weird feeling at first; she winced as she was stretched and felt ever so thankful that her hymen had broken years ago during her training. He paused with an inch or two to spare as he lingered above her, keeping his weight on his forearms.</p><p>"You ok?" He panted; she could see that he was making an effort to go slow for her and she appreciated it.</p><p>"Yeah...keep going," She sounded breathless to her own ears, even though she had only been lying down.</p><p>He pulled out a little before pushing back all the way in until their pelvises were pressed against each other.</p><p>"Ngh...God you're tight..." He moaned in a throaty voice that could only turn her on. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to concentrate on the sensation around his cock, "...you feel so good..."</p><p>"Go..." She ordered; it still felt weird to her, but at the same time perfect.</p><p>His hips began to shift back and forth in slow, rhythmic motions and the uncomfortable tightness gave way to a slow-building pleasure. It was more than just the sex...she felt absolutely complete; him filling her felt right above anything else. She couldn't get over the feel of his narrow hips pressed between her legs or the weight of his warm, naked body sliding against hers. The pleasure that was mounting was nothing compared to the intense emotions that were stirring in her chest; Jaune had kept his eyes locked on hers the whole time as he continued to move above her, savoring her every expression. That alone made that moment all the more special.</p><p>Unable to help himself anymore, he swooped down and kissed her, keeping it slow and controlled just like the rolling motion of his hips.</p><p>"You know...," He started to say, keeping his nose inches from hers, "missionary is...supposed to be the least—hmmm—sexually satisfying position for a woman..."</p><p>A tiny part of her wanted to ask—with the utmost scruple—just how he knew that bit of information, but it vanished with another sweep of his hips.</p><p>"It—it gets bet-better?" She instead chuffed, already starting to lose herself to the sensations in her groin.</p><p>He grinned, albeit unsteadily due to his own gratification, and rumbled in her ear, "Wanna speed things up?"</p><p>Before she could react she was suddenly lifted up off of her back as he pulled her forwards and onto his lap. She was impaled further and she gasped at the incredibly satisfying sensation. Intuition took over and, after wrapping her legs around his waist, she began to bounce to her own pace, trying to take him deeper than what was physically possible.</p><p>A new feeling was stirring within her; now that the suffocating intensity of Jaune's gaze was no longer distracting her she was all too aware of the tingling feeling that was building and building, adding to a salacious pressure deep within her abdomen.</p><p>She continued to ride him, pushing back on his shoulders to give herself more leverage as she leaned over him, her hair falling to one side of her neck and dangling above his face.</p><p>Ruby released a loud squeak in between moans as they were rolled over so that he was on top and her head was almost hanging off of the foot of the bed. He lifted her legs higher to hug his ribs and continued to speed up.</p><p>"Yes..." she hissed in approval at the increased friction, bearing her throat to him as she relaxed her head backwards. Her breathing became increasingly harsher and her breasts heaved enticingly in a slight arch, prompting Jaune to nip at the flushed buds, careful to keep his teeth from accidentally hurting her as his lower half moved at a faster pace.</p><p>The sensations were driving her mad, straight into a lust-crazed mentality. Mimicking Jaune's earlier actions, she forced their bodies to roll over again...</p><p>...right off of the bed.</p><p>Jaune grunted softly as his back hit the floor, his dick miraculously still inside her. He glared playfully at her painful stab at dominance—though he wouldn't deny that it was a bit of a turn on.</p><p>"S-sorry," She giggled, giving him an appeasing kiss before rolling her hips in hopes to get moving again. Jaune glared playfully at her.</p><p>"Ugh, think that's funny, huh?"</p><p>Later on she would boggle at how he did this without slipping out of her...</p><p>Strong, muscled arms wrapped around her lower back as he hugged her tight to his body and stood. Her bewilderment of being lifted was thrown out of her as she was slammed against the wall, hard enough to rattle the glass of the window on the other side of the room. The new angle brushed against her g-spot in just the right way causing her to dig her nails into his back as her legs enveloped his waist in a vice-like grip.</p><p>"OH! That—yesssss—there—again—!"</p><p>Jaune shut her up with a fierce kiss, his hips moving again at a brutal pace. Her ass was slammed against the wall with each strong, sharp thrust; the ecstasy was rising to overwhelming levels at an alarming speed. The sounds of their harsh gasps, grunts and moans blended flawlessly with the loud thuds against the wall and the slapping of his balls against her butt cheeks. She raked her fingernails down his face and he let out a fierce growl that was completely inhuman.</p><p>Just when she thought the ecstasy couldn't possibly build any higher, he gripped her left leg and hoisted it so that the knee was hooked over his shoulder, holding her other leg that was still wrapped around his waist under the thigh. Her flexibility allowed her to stay in the pretzel-like position as he pistoned in and out of her.</p><p>She rolled her head back against the wall and loudly moaned with no restraint. Deep, winded breaths shifted her breasts up and down squished between their chests, their nipples brushing against each other and creating all new sensations.</p><p>Entirely stimulated, she clutched at his sweaty neck; glancing over his shoulder, she could see the tight ass muscles that clenched and unclenched along with his hips' siphoning motions. The image nearly tore down the last of her restraint. Her body was on fire, the pressure between her legs was almost painful.</p><p>"God—oooh...Jjjjj...Jaune...I'm—I'm—I'm—"</p><p>"Y-yeah—" He hissed, understanding what she wanted amongst his own impending climax.</p><p>He stumbled backwards away from the wall; she clung to him, continuing to ride him as he fell against the bed at the knees. She lifted herself into a straddling position and impaled herself onto his length over and over again, her fingers curling at his stomach. Fighting down the instinct to put her back underneath him—this night was about her—he gripped her hips with bruising force and lifted his pelvis up in time to meet with each of her bounces, driving in as deeply and as sharply as he could.</p><p>Ruby could feel it spreading from her crotch and up throughout her body—the sizzling, maddening force that had been building since he first crawled on top of her.</p><p>"Oh, ah, oh, OH—J-Jaune!"</p><p>Her release was explosive; her vision was blotted by white and delirium as she rode out wave after wave of her orgasm. Her body began to weaken from the intensity but Jaune kept at it, making sure to keep her climax going for as long as possible.</p><p>Her walls contracted spastically around his member, slicked further by her wetness and with one sharp spasm he came.</p><p>"Rrrrrrr-Ruby! Ah—!"</p><p>She could feel the hot liquid filling her, dribbling around his softening cock and down her legs, mingling with her own juices. The last of her energy escaped her and she collapsed against his chest as exhaustion took over, resting her forehead on his collarbone.</p><p>For a few moments there was nothing but the sound of their own harsh panting as they relished in the afterglow of such powerful orgasms.</p><p>"So...," Jaune said between breaths, a crooked smile worming onto his face, "was it as good for you as it was for me?"</p><p>Ruby lifted her head and stared at him through heavy lidded eyes, his baby blues sparkled right back at her with a trace of humor. She would have giggled at the use of such a clichéd line if she wasn't so exhausted. Another silence encompassed as she struggled to gather her bearings.</p><p>"Is sex...always...always like that?" She panted. She felt wonderful, completely satiated in a way she hadn't known was possible.</p><p>"With me it is," He grinned. She moaned in protest as he rolled them over, slipping his limp girth out of her before he slowly walked out of the room. She couldn't even think about where he was going as she lay on her back, staring dazedly up at the ceiling. Her breath was only just starting to calm down when her lover returned with a damp washcloth in hand.</p><p>"Here," He said, handing it to her, "Congratulations, you're no longer a virgin."</p><p>"Thanks, you too." Ruby giggled as she wiped herself down quickly; the sweat on her body was beginning to cool, leaving her feeling a bit chilly. Jaune pulled back the covers on the bed and together they crawled underneath, converging to each other like it was second nature.</p><p>"I love you," He whispered, kissing her temple and then resting his head on their shared pillow. The serotonin released in his brain was too high for him to stay awake much longer. Despite this, it didn't stop him from hearing Ruby's echo.</p><p>"I love you too."</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>YOU ARE NOW FREE TO RESUME READING AT LESS OF A CRINGE-FILLED SPEED.</p><p>They laid there for a few moments, relaxing and still catching their breath after an intense love making session. It was an intensity neither were used to but would gladly continue. Silver eyes gazed into pools of blue as they continued to share the bed, naked as the day they were born.</p><p>"Strawberry cupcakes, huh?" Ruby asked playfully.</p><p>Jaunce chuckled in response to her questioning. "Yeah, yeah." He replied.</p><p>They both stood up, looking to regain some of their clothing they had so haphazardly discarded amidst their fornication. Ruby replaced her underwear and grabbed his Jaune's t-shirt as he watched her. She blushed slightly but offered her tongue in response to his ogling. She threw the shirt over herself as he pulled his boxers back on, giving him a side-eyed stare.</p><p>"Pervert." She stated.</p><p>"Whoa, lady." He retorted. "You're the one who has been trying to get me in bed all night. Don't play so innocent. If I want to watch my girlfriend bend over and dress, then I will." He finished.</p><p>She raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk at his comments.</p><p>"Girlfriend, huh?"</p><p>He froze a little at the comment. He looked at the closed-curtain windows as he gave a remark. "Y-Yeah. My girlfriend."</p><p>She strolled across the other side of the bed to where he was standing, not facing her. Her approaching footsteps cause his head to turn and look at her. Her glowing image of nothing but a shirt and lacy underwear, caused him to go red in the face again, as if they didn't just go at it like rabbits.</p><p>She reached up and cupped his cheek as she stared at him. She licked her lips once more before going in for another kiss.</p><p>"I like that." She stated.</p><p>He held her there for a few seconds as they continued to engage in tongue wrestling. She broke away this time as she noticed something on the floor from the corner of her eye. She stared down and saw something... interesting.</p><p>She ended their embrace as she walked and bent down to the floor near them as Jaune looked on confused. He didn't mind watching her some more but couldn't help but be curious at her actions. He watched as she picked up two things from the floor and turned to see him. She opened her hands to reveal the snacks he had bought Pyrrha earlier. The milk and the strawberry cupcakes.</p><p>"Post-fuck snack?" She asked.</p><p>He belly-laughed at her questioning. "Never thought I'd hear those words from your mouth."</p><p>He went to reach for the treats, as she pulled them away. He looked at her face, a grin posted on it wide as ever.</p><p>"Uh... Ruby?"</p><p>"I wasn't talking about us eating these..." She stated as she walked towards him again.</p><p>Jaune felt uneasy at her statement, stepping backwards again. He thought entering into a relationship would mean fewer frightening occurrences, but something was off-putting about her actions and speech.</p><p>"Pardon?" He answered.</p><p>"While they aren't cookies... I'm sure I'll enjoy eating them off you along with licking the milk off." Ruby stated with an evil smile.</p><p>Jaune's eyes bulged as he knew what she was talking about. The pictures of Ren covered in syrup flooded his mind as he looked over at the door. Was there a chance he could be arrested for public nudity? Was that still better than being sticky?</p><p>He cleared his throat as she continued to approach him, running out of space.</p><p>"Is... Is this my punishment?" He squeaked out.</p><p>"Why, Jaune..." She spoke as she continued to move towards him. "Why would I punish you after we just expressed our deepest love?"</p><p>He attempted to vault over the bed, but his leg was hooked by her outstretched arm. He once again found himself pinned to the bed as she stared down at him with less clothing as before being the only difference. In a flash, she dropped the food by their sides and grabbed a pillowcase, ripping it off the pillow.</p><p>She grabbed his hands and tightly wrapped the pillowcase around his wrists, holding him in place. He couldn't understand how she did it or where she had learned something like this. She held his wrists with one hand as he looked back at her. Heart-shaped pupils stared at him as she reached for the milk. Jaune's cold sweat returned to old form as he laid there helpless as ever.</p><p>"We only have the room for the night so we have to be proactive, Jaune." Ruby stated.</p><p>"Actually, the creepy lady made me buy two nights to-"</p><p>He mentally kicked himself as he was too late to stop himself from making that statement. Ruby blinked at what he said before licking her lips some more in a tantalizing fashion. She lowered her head to meet his right ear as she spoke.</p><p>"Guess we can take it slow then."</p><p>Jaune's mind raced over and over with words of protest, but only one word could some this predicament up. One word that had stuck with him throughout the happenings of today and tonight. His go to.</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"Afterwards."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The conclusion!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey there! Well, we did it. Welcome to the story epilogue and the conclusion to a tale of nonsense. As of this chapter, we will eclipse the 100K word mark which is a personal achievement of my own. Thank you to everyone who made this possible and cheered me onwards. If not for your words, who knows what might have happened. I have enjoyed writing this so much that after a ten year stint of not being able to write something, this story and all your help made it work. For that, please take this story's success as your own. A story is nothing without its readers.</p><p>I knew I had planned to end the last chapter somewhat abruptly, and I also knew that it didn't feel right. I had this epilogue planned for a long time, and I wanted to gift it to you all so that we can have one last laugh together while also tying some loose ends and having a proper ending. When it comes to shows or books, there isn't anything that annoys me more than when a series ends and there isn't proper closure. Similarly to the last chapter, this one will be more lengthy and broken into segments.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 19 – Epilogue</p><p>It was a bright and shining day in Vale. The usually busy streets were once again filled with the lively comings and goings of people making their way around downtown. Nothing was particularly different here. However, at Vale's prestigious school of Beacon Academy, it was a very important day to students and staff.</p><p>Bells rang in celebration as fireworks welcomed family members of all ages. The autumn weather and trees only added to the colorful scenery offered by the prestigious academy grounds. Decorations were on full display on from the walkway, through the forest, and even in the parking lot. Today was a day of gathering and celebrations.</p><p>...Today was graduation day.</p><p>The students wore their graduation uniforms proudly as they sat in their classrooms. Professor Port attempted to engage the students in further stories. Stories he had repeated over, and over, and over, and ov- You get the point. Needless to say, his words fell on deaf ears. None of the students paid him any mind now that they were, well, no longer students, really. Being stuck in class listening to him drone was one thing, but today was about them.</p><p>Professor Oobleck was making rounds throughout the room congratulating and shaking the hands of the no-longer-students. As strange as he was, the students did enjoy his frantic and unorthodox style of teaching. He would probably be missed the most. Sure, he could be annoying, especially first thing in the morning, but he was fair in his job.</p><p>Aside from them, everyone's least favorite and most strict professor was sitting at the desk at the front of the room watching everything going on. Professor Goodwitch always remained masked and calm. She kept order in a school that was known for troublemakers (see Ruby Rose). But graduation was always a joyous occasion for even her. The smiles of the former students and the excitement in the room made even her dawn a smile.</p><p>She recalled her time as a student, much like them, on graduation day. While she recalled those times with a cringey-fondness, her eyes fell upon a certain group of students. She remembered all the events that had transpired since they arrived at Beacon. Team RWBY and Team JNPR were the top graduating teams in Beacon for this year and both had come a long way in terms of skill and learning.</p><p>Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee laughed and smiled as they stood in the corner with Nora Valkyrie. Their conversation was undoubtedly about a past event from their times at Beacon academy. Weiss especially had come to be more fun-loving and less uptight, most likely due to their fearless and abrasive leader. Blake also was more involved and smiled more than when she had arrived. The bonds they had formed would last a lifetime.</p><p>And then there was Nora. Who hadn't changed. Not. One. Bit. She was still loud, obnoxious, and otherwise, well, herself. But she was glowing. Goodwitch couldn't put a finger on it, but she did seem to calm down since the summertime. She wasn't sure what had happened, but if it kept her even 1% more in line, she was for it.</p><p>In fact, all these girls were glowing a little more than normal. Truly a mystery she thought but otherwise shrugged off the idea. She looked to see Yang Xiao Long approaching them with Pyrrha Nikos and Li Ren. Pyrrha would be giving the Valedictorian speech as the class representative and the top graduate at the school in some time later. Li Ren was also in the top 10 of the class and would be expected of great things once graduation was over. Lastly, there was Yang Xiao Long. She was muscle of Team RWBY and while she wasn't a bad student, she was definitely an instigator and a troublemaker.</p><p>Goodwitch frowned as she thought on the horrors Yang was responsible for. She was a prankster and enjoyed turning Beacon into a battleground, similarly to her sister. She had good reason to believe all the damage in the courtyard was due to her or a combination of both these teams, but the suspicious power outage that night seemed to wipe any surveillance videos from that night and she was left with nothing but her inkling.</p><p>Goodwitch shook herself from that night and the clean-up she had performed the next few days. After seeing six of the eight team members, she could only raise an eyebrow and think...</p><p>Where is Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc?</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [W]</p><p>WARNING: ONE LAST CRINGE MOMENT. AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES ONCE MORE TO THE NEXT BREAK IN THE CHAPTER TO BE SPARED.</p><p>Jaune Arc was the proud operator of two working arms—which was currently being put to good use under his girlfriend's skirt.</p><p>"Ah! There! Right there!"</p><p>A teacher walking down the third floor corridor paused; her pen hovered over her clipboard in mid jot as she strained her ears against the silence. After receiving no other sounds save for her own breathing she shrugged and continued her path, walking past the janitorial closet.</p><p>Jaune and Ruby were looking at each other with baited breath as they listened to the fading footsteps on the other side of the door. The sound of their own blood rushing in their ears and their heavy panting was nearly deafening in the tiny room.</p><p>"Is...is she gone?" Ruby puffed, her intense breathing raised blonde hairs to tickle her nose. She was perched on a floor cabinet, seated just high enough to elevate her a few inches above Jaune. The young man's only response was to grin up at her and twist the fingers hidden between her legs, gently pinching her clitoris.</p><p>"Ahh-mmmph!" Her verbal appreciation was muffled when Jaune stretched forwards and stilled her lips with his own, making sure to keep her mouth occupied as his fingers applied more pressure to the sensitive nub, tracing along the folds of her inner labia. His entire hand was wet with her juices. He pulled his lips away when she made a desperate attempt to deepen the kiss, leaving her pink tongue poking out between her lips in disappointment. His mouth drifted from corner of her lips along her cheek with the same, agonizingly slow pace that his fingers were moving in.</p><p>A high-pitched whine reverberated from her throat as she thrust her pelvis against his wrist in an attempt to get the two fingers toying with her entrance to slip inside her. The arm bracing her back gripped her hip threateningly and he chuckled darkly against her jawbone; he shifted the two digits further away in a punishing manner, pressing down on her clit with his thumb and making her yell out once more. Her cry dwindled to a whimper when he nipped at the pale skin that covered the rapid pulse beating below her jaw.</p><p>"Not so loud, Ruby," He scolded, his voice raw with lust, "you're going to get us caught."</p><p>He finished his demand by slipping his middle finger inside of her, hooking around inner side of her pubic bone and pushing forcefully against the rough patch of tissue. Her already stimulated body reacting beautifully as she arched back far enough for her head to hit the wall behind her, her mouth opening wordlessly as she was thrown into a pre-orgasmic state.</p><p>The way he handled her, the way addressed her—rough but meticulous, deadly but loving—she delighted in it. She never thought being involved with another person would be so intense. She always pictured a life of holding hands and dinner dates. In real life your boyfriend would show up at your graduation day and drag you into a janitor's closet in the middle of you getting ready and molest you against the mops and buckets. Personally, she much preferred this, with his fingers exploring areas known only to her own.</p><p>"St-stop teasing me, you b-bastard," She whined at the maddening pattern his finger fell into, gently massaging her G-spot and building up her orgasm, then ceasing until it began to dwindle before starting up once more.</p><p>Her head was spinning in vertigo as Jaune held her hostage on the brink of release. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated on every tingle and impression, hardly aware of Jaune pressing against her as his hands ceased their pleasuring and cupped under her thighs. In a daze she helplessly watched him push her skirt up around the curve of her butt until it was left bunched around her stomach and then slid her dark-grey boy-shorts down her legs so that they dangled just below her knees. She was exposed to him completely, a trimmed layer of black hairs left as her only shelter. She blushed when he did nothing but stand back and admire her most private area, a pleased smile on his face.</p><p>"You know, we should do this here again after graduation for years to come."</p><p>"...What?!" Patches on her cheekbones reddened at the embarrassing information. Her hands automatically moved to cover herself.</p><p>"Don't," He laughed, catching both her wrists and holding them out to the sides. He was positioned against the cabinet so that his hips were right between her knees, forcing her legs apart and leaving her on full display.</p><p>"Jaune..."She whimpered piteously with a feeble struggle, suddenly hating the situation she was in. Keeping her wrists where they were, he leaned forwards and gave her a chaste, comforting kiss.</p><p>"You're beautiful," He assured her, kissing her once again with more force and giving two light nips to her bottom lip. "You're perfect."</p><p>She sighed at his words, allowing him to release her wrists without retaliation. His hands slid down her body as he lowered himself to her knees, stopping at her thighs and spreading her legs a little further apart. Her sex was inches in front of his face, pearly beads dripping from the swollen lips and darkening the stained wood of the cabinet top; a blast of her fragrance, thick with arousal, met his senses and he fought off the primal urge to take her right there.</p><p>Ruby felt her face heat up even more, this time not from embarrassment, but at the arousing sight of his face being so close to her vagina and him looking up at her, his eyes unusually dark yet glowing with a smoldering desire. He smiled before he set to work, first laying light butterfly kisses all over the sensitive skin on the insides of her pale thighs, working his way closer and closer to his goal.</p><p>When he reached the joint of her hip he moved in an arch over her aching heat, nipping and kissing and sucking at her pubic mound. Ruby automatically braced her hands on the edge of the cabinet, pushing herself forward so that her butt was almost halfway off of the countertop, unknowingly giving Jaune easier access to her inner fold. His eyes closed for that moment and he allowed his tongue to map out the forbidden territory, his demonic hearing picking up every hitch of breath and whimper and using it as encouragement.</p><p>One of Ruby's hands flew to the top of his head and gripped his hair, daring him to try and stop at this point. Absorbed as he was in his task, Jaune couldn't help but look up using his eyes alone and was glad he did. Her other arm had her braced against the shelf above her head, her body arched backwards and her head tilted back in rapture, leaving a breathtaking sight from his perspective. Fingernails dug into his scalp, telling him to get a move on.</p><p>His tongue moved in languid motions, up and down, in between the inner and outer labia, occasionally sucking on each receptive division of flesh accompanied by a few playful nips.</p><p>"Keep going, please, please, please, keep going, don't stop, don't stop..."</p><p>His ears picked up on her frantic whispers He felt his head being pushed further and further into her womanhood until all that he could breathe was her aroma, making him lightheaded and lustful. His tongue flickered rapidly over the exposed bulb of her clitoris, his bottom teeth scraping up through her opening until he was sucking hard on the pubic mound.</p><p>Deciding he had tortured her long enough, he lay his mouth open against her womanhood and slowly pushed his tongue inside her as much as he was physically able. He felt added weight on his head as Ruby's other hand joined the first, her whole body now hunched over and relying on him for support.</p><p>The feel of a wet, wriggling muscle pumping in and out of her was nearly the final straw for Ruby. Driven to near delirium she clamped her thighs around his head, her fingers grabbing handfuls of his hair as she rocked against his mouth.</p><p>Jaune worked his tongue even faster and brought his formally idle hand from its resting place on her knee to the site of action. His thumb quickly found her clit and began rubbing furiously, intent on bringing her to completion. Muscles contracted and he managed to grin into short, wet, black hairs.</p><p>"Oh Oum—JAUNE!"</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [A]</p><p>The professor that had walked by some time ago stopped and paused. She was positive she had heard something this time.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [S]</p><p>Ruby could feel her strength draining as the last waves of her orgasm died out and she slumped back against the wall behind her, finally releasing her painful hold on his hair, much to his covert relief. Jaune had continued his ministrations, swallowing back the mouthful of clear fluid until he was sure she was finished.</p><p>"Jaune... thank you..." Ruby huffed. Jaune stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, drinking up the sight before him and locking it away in his memory: Ruby's chest was heaving in a deep, rhythmic pattern—the curve of her modest breasts rose and fell hypnotically—she sagged against the wall with her hair slightly mussed, her legs still spread and underwear tangled around her calves. No one would ever get to see her like this but him. He would make sure of it.</p><p>"My pleasure," He murmured allowing her a slight taste of herself as he leaned over her boneless form and kissed her deeply. Ruby moaned and shifted, wrapping both her arms around his neck and using him to pull herself into sitting up.</p><p>"Want me to take care of this?" She whispered into the kiss, bringing the tips of her fingers against the firm swell that had developed between his legs. She frowned when he stepped away from her and out of her reach, almost causing her to mimic his own pout.</p><p>"Sadly, that will have to wait for another time. We're already running late and I have to meet up with my team at our seats." Ruby couldn't even bring herself to scold him, forgetting about that herself. "You better get to yours also, or you'll be in big trouble."</p><p>She gave him a lazy grin and hooked her arm around his neck to pull him in for a rough, messy kiss. She could kiss him forever.</p><p>"You're nothing but trouble." she teased.</p><p>He chuckled, the deep reverberations resounded from his chest to hers.</p><p>"With a capital J." he quipped.</p><p>With one last parting kiss Jaune left her with the greatest reluctance, slipping out into the hall inconspicuously and taking off to meet the rest of Team JNPR.</p><p>Ruby felt wonderful as she straightened out her clothes, feeling both relaxed and energized in a way that she had never felt before. Ghostly sensations of the last moments resurfaced, the feel of his hair tickling the insides of her thighs, the thick, hot tongue digging into her, lavishing her with blissful ambiance, the glow of his eyes as he look up at her from his knees...</p><p>Unfortunately, she made the mistake of exiting the closet while lost in her recollections.</p><p>"Ruby! Where have you been?"</p><p>She jumped and clutched a hand to her chest, whirling on the spot to face the tall, slim form of her master's first apprentice.</p><p>"Ms. Goodwitch!" She gasped, portraying nothing but guilt, "I-I, uh, I've been...you see...funny you should ask that—"</p><p>"Never mind," She said with a wave of her hand, not suspecting anything thus far, "You disappeared in the middle of seating in the courtyard! You need to meet up with your team for the entrance ceremony."</p><p>Ruby sighed at her now former professor not being any the wiser as to what just transpired.</p><p>"Right," She said, patting herself down to make sure she looked presentable enough for her big moment.</p><p>"I just saw Jaune leaving, did you see him?" Goodwitch asked conversationally. She knew nothing of their relationship, of course, and the both of them wanted it that way, lest they be under constant surveillance during their remaining time at the school prior to now.</p><p>Ruby froze in the midst of fixing her hair, careful not to make eye contact as she answered.</p><p>"I must have missed him."</p><p>END OF SCENE. YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE EPILOGUE IN PEACE.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [J]</p><p>"It's about time, Jaune!" Nora shouted as the blonde boy made his way to their seats in the courtyard.</p><p>He had missed their walking time and made his own entrance awkward. Thank goodness Goodwitch was not there to scold him or she may have made everyone repeat their entrance just to embarrass him. The blonde was out of breath, obviously from running to try and get to his seat without making too much of a scene. He collapsed in the seat and waved himself with his own hand in an attempt to generate a breeze.</p><p>He looked over at his orange-haired companion and smiled, "Sorry," He mouthed between trying to catch his breath. "I was locked in a closet."</p><p>All three of his teammates looked at him in confusion as he continued to give them a smile. They all shrugged it off, opting not to pursue any answers. Jaune looked around as the rest of his classmates began to pour into the courtyard seating area in their graduation uniforms. He took in the different groups of people who were in attendance as well. Parents, citizens, former students, etc. Had gathered to see them off.</p><p>He felt a sense of satisfaction sitting there with his peers. For someone who had no business even attending Beacon, he had made it through the program and was about to receive his diploma and license that would officially grant him the rank of Huntsman. It was a crowning achievement in his short life as well as everyone else in his class.</p><p>He searched frantically for his family members. He had no idea where they would be in the sea of people. He knew they would all be in attendance and was willing to bet they would wait for his moment to receive his diploma for them to make themselves known. Just one more embarrassing moment left in school. He scanned fruitlessly as he was unable to find them.</p><p>He did, however, find two people he was unsure would be there. Blue hair stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd off to his right in the stands. Neptune Vasilias was waving as he saw Jaune looking towards them. Next to him was his partner in crime, Sun Wukong, also offering a wave and a smile as he made eye contact with the blonde off in the distance. The two of them had graduated earlier in the week and received their licenses as Huntsman and with boyfriend obligations, came attending their graduation as well.</p><p>None the less, he was happy to see his friends were here as well. He signaled to his team and pointed to the stands to show them that they were there. Ren offered a weak smile and wave as Nora jumped frantically, waving both hands in the air.</p><p>Enthusiastic as always... Jaune thought. Pyrrha also smiled wholeheartedly at the duo as the last remaining students made their way to their seats. The entrance music had finally seized as all participants in graduation were also seating silently. Jaune looked over his shoulder to see Ruby with the rest of her team, glowing as usual.</p><p>She makes quick work fixing herself up. He thought. He noticed she was staring at him now. She sent a playful wink and licked her lips in his general direction. Had this been months earlier he may have gulped and panicked, but he now grew accustomed to her games and smiled back at her. Jaune turned back around as he heard someone playing with the microphone on the center stage in front of him as all noise then seized.</p><p>"Good morning, students." Ozpin announced. "And good morning to everyone else in attendance for this special occasion. Every year, we seem to have more and more talented students graduate from our academy, and this year us no different." Ozpin picked up the microphone as he strolled around the stage with his signature cane. "In fact, I'd say this may very well be the most impressive class of graduates that I've ever seen."</p><p>The class and spectators cheered and clapped at Ozpin's announcement. He stood quietly as he waited for them to finish before continuing to speak.</p><p>"I am proud of each and every one of you and I am happy to have met you all. I hope we can work together as we fight against the Grimm and any axis of darkness on Remnant." The claps and cheers continued as Ozpin cleared his throat once more. "Now then, I think it is time we heard from this year's class representative, as well as, the Valedictorian of this year. Pyrrha Nikos!"</p><p>Clapping and whistling commenced as Ozpin made the announcement. The roar of the students and on-lookers were deafening as the redhead stood up. She turned and bowed to the crowd politely before walking towards the steps to the front stage. Once there, she took the microphone from the outstretched hand of Ozpin who mouthed something to her, most likely a 'congratulations.' After taking the microphone, she walked it back over to the podium and placed it in the holder. The yelling quieted as she prepared to speak, opting to not have a speech written and rather speak from the heart.</p><p>"Fellow classmates, teachers, faculty, friends, and families, welcome to the graduation ceremony for this year's Beacon Academy class. I stand here proudly as a part of this class. The memories I've made with the people I met will last a lifetime. Further-"</p><p>Jaune smiled as he sat next to his other two teammates as she continued her speech. It was crazy to believe that just a few weeks back she was the deranged maniac that took down the masterplan of one Neptune, while still not siding with anyone on that night. Jaune's mind traveled back to the end of that weekend, the so called "first step in the recovery process" that the group spoke of in their messaging.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [A]</p><p>Flashback</p><p>Sunday morning had finally arrived for Jaune. The poor boy had spent the better half of the weekend being tortured by his new girlfriend, Ruby. A price he had to pay for the antics he and his cohorts had divulged in the previous Friday. Antics that found all of them dealing with one trauma or another that they would have to lean on each other for continued support.</p><p>After sneaking away from their respective captors, the four found themselves meeting up at a local diner in the downtown section of Vale. They sat in a booth at the far corner of the restaurant, as to not disturb anyone with their recounted tales of... events.</p><p>"And then... and then Yang poured syrup on me... and she said I was going to get my 'just desserts' before she... before she... she let Nora..."</p><p>Ren couldn't find the strength to finish the statement as he held himself to try and stop the shaking his body was uncontrollably performing. Tears welled in his eyes as he went from speaking to sobbing lightly on the table. The marks on his wrists were enough for the other boys to know what had happened.</p><p>"I... I think I'm going to be sick." Neptune commented as he held one hand over his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting.</p><p>"What are you so squeamish for?!" Ren yelled as his head shot up from the table and pointed and accusing finger at Neptune. "This was your stupid idea and yet you made out better than any of us! It's almost like some sick joke." Ren seethed.</p><p>Jaune, Sun, and Neptune watched their usually emotionless friend scream manically in the mostly-empty restaurant. The shock and awe of the situation was almost too much for his poor mind to handle. Ren began to cry again as Sun patted his head and gave him a one-armed hug as they sat next to each other.</p><p>Sun was visibly bruised and scratched up all over his body. His shirt was torn in different places and his hair was messy. Well, messier than usual. Jaune looked him over as the Faunus boy smiled and tried to calm Jaune's teammate.</p><p>"You know," Jaune spoke. "For a guy that got the shit beat out of him, you seem to be handling this very well."</p><p>Sun continued to console Ren as he listened to Jaune speak. Of all the boys, he was definitely mauled the worse. They all knew Blake was a pervert, but they weren't sure about her M side that Sun was unfortunately on the receiving end of. He dealt with all of her arsenal and came away smiling.</p><p>"Well, I guess I have a sturdy body. That nightmare fuel of a doll that Weiss had was worse than any physical torture Blake could do to me." Sun spoke.</p><p>"You mean Snowflake?" Neptune asked.</p><p>A cold shiver went down the spine of Neptune's teammate as he spoke the name of that atrocity. That thing's face will for sure haunt Sun's dreams for the foreseeable future. Should he see a therapist, or possibly, a hypnotist? In any case, he never wanted to see that pure essence of evil again.</p><p>"Don't... Don't give that thing a name." Sun spoke lowly. "I don't think any physical harm we could endure would be worse than that... thing!"</p><p>"Speak... for yourself..." Ren spoke between his sobs as he continued to let Sun hold him.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. How long did the doctor say those pelvic fractures would take to fully heal?" Jaune asked his teammate.</p><p>"Too long." Ren continued to weep as he thought back to the night he became a man.</p><p>Neptune and Jaune cringed at his words as they sat there at the booth. Sun rubbed his stiff shoulders as they listened to the other boy speak. Being bound in one position really put a strain on his muscles. He was going to have to put more ice on his guns before he wanted to work out more.</p><p>"So, are we all... not single anymore?" Jaune asked.</p><p>The table was quiet as each boy thought it over. The realization now apparent on all their faces. It was never any of their intentions after what had happened, but somehow, fate found a way of its own.</p><p>"Yeah, how the fuck did that happen?" Neptune questioned the others.</p><p>Jaune offered shrugged shoulders as Ren continued to whine to himself in the corner, leaning his head on the window at the far end of the booth they were sitting at. Sun ignored the question entirely and continued to rub his sore muscles and locating more and more bruises by the minute.</p><p>"So, how are things with you and Weiss?" Jaune asked Neptune. "That kind of came out of nowhere."</p><p>"This all came out of nowhere." Ren stated blatantly, not turning his head from his position.</p><p>"Things are... strangely good." Neptune replied. "Though, apparently, after graduation she plans to move in to my apartment. She's already started shopping for curtains and those sappy slogans you put in your living room. I think she's trying to stock my shower with her 800 bottles of moisturizer too."</p><p>"Aw, man." Sun commented to Neptune's reply. "There goes our guys only place to hang out. Before you know it, they'll all be there hanging out and ruining the mancave."</p><p>"Don't you think it's really quick for you to be shacking up together, Neptune?" Jaune asked. "Less than two days together and already she's moving in?"</p><p>Neptune smiled at his friend's response. He was apprehensive at first when Weiss announced her intentions to move into his apartment, and even now he still had some lingering thoughts on the subject, but he felt this odd sense of relief at the idea of her living with him. It was no secret that he had harbored secret feelings for her prior to Friday and she had for him as well, so it may seem like they were rushing into a big decision.</p><p>"Nah." Neptune replied, waving his hand. "Find a good one and keep them close. She has no want to return to Atlas and live there, plus her friends are here."</p><p>He had a point there Jaune thought. Team RWBY needed to stay together just as much as JNPR needed to. Jaune looked over at Ren, who was still taking the form of a slug, leaning on the window. His whole world changed when he met his teammates and he knew they would be friends forever. He couldn't imagine life without them now.</p><p>He then thought to himself about his new relationship with Ruby. Graduation was only a short while away and even though, just like Neptune, their situation was new, they might want to think about their future. He pictured a life with Ruby and a place of their own right out of school. The idea made him smile genuinely rather than have any fears of it not working out. With their history and their passionate night (minus the milk part of course), he didn't have a doubt in his body about them working out. Should he ask her to move in with him? What would his parents think? What would her dad think?</p><p>This was going to take a lot of thought before he made a move on it. Obviously, he should introduce himself to her father and show that he can be a man that provides for her. He also had to meet with her uncle... Robin or Duck, was it? Eh, whatever. In any case, he wanted to take responsibility. Yeah, he was still young, but his school life was about to come to an end. His team and Team RWBY would be dispatched out on real missions as licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses. He needed to be prepared for anything.</p><p>While the idea of becoming more of an adult was a scary idea, no one can stay a kid forever, and he was excited for the next step. Their group had come a long way and they'd continue to be friends from here on out. He could raise a family of his own and stay side by side with the woman he loved. He knew he was thinking far down the line, but he entertained the thought of marriage possibly one day.</p><p>His thoughts were interrupted by a large woman in a pink outfit and a white apron approaching their table.</p><p>"Who got the omelet?" She asked.</p><p>Neptune raised his hand as she placed the meal in front of him. Jaune took his plate of eggs benedict afterwards. The lady walked back to the counter and grabbed two more plates before returning.</p><p>"Bacon and eggs?" She questioned again.</p><p>Ren raised and waved his hand as he remained completely unearthed by her question, still continuing to stare out the window into a non-existent void. She placed the plate in front of him before looking at Sun who was eagerly awaiting his breakfast. Last, but certainly not least.</p><p>"And here you go, hun. A short stack of pancakes with extra syrup."</p><p>As she placed the plate down in front of an eager Sun, Ren's head did a quick turn as his eyes shot open. The once fluffy and delicious cakes that represented hope were now a sign of impending doom. He became tachycardic and pale as he watched Sun make the first cut into them and shove a bite full into his mouth, syrup dripping from down his chin as he chewed.</p><p>Sun looked over at the boy sitting next to him as he chewed his food. As an attempted act of kindness, he raised his fork in Ren's direction which only made the boy panic further and began to hyperventilate.</p><p>"Uhh, pancake?"</p><p>"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ren yelled as he went into full sob mode and tried clawing at the wall for an escape as people looked at him in confusion and terror. Jaune and Neptune just ducked their heads, trying to avoid the gazes of other customers as their friend foamed at the mouth and screeched like a five-year-old.</p><p>Sun looked on at Ren in bewilderment as he continued to chew. He then gazed at the other two boys at the table acting like they didn't know what was going on as Sun swallowed his first bite.</p><p>"What the hell is his problem?"</p><p>End Flashback</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [U]</p><p>"And with that, I would like to thank everyone here to witness our transition from students to Huntsmen and Huntresses. Our time at Beacon was short, but we have learned more than some do in a lifetime. Thank you to those who have taken us down this path. We will not disappoint you."</p><p>As Pyrrha concluded her speech, an eruption of clapping and cheers emanated from the courtyard area. Parents of students cried, as the students themselves jumped to their feet and yelled. One such was Yang who was chanting Pyrrha's name over and over, beginning a chant for the whole school to become a part of.</p><p>The redhead was embarrassed to say the least but waved and bowed to everyone as a sign of thanks for their response. Ozpin approached the podium and handed Pyrrha her diploma and offered the girl a hug. As the valedictorian, she was held to a higher standard than most and her speech was powerful as it should be. She accepted the diploma and hug, wiping her eyes of the tears she had formed afterwards. She then exited the stage and made her way back to her seat with the rest of Team JNPR.</p><p>Ozpin grabbed the microphone once more and walked back to the center of the stage where Professor Goodwitch was waiting with the rest of the class's diplomas sitting on the table beside her.</p><p>"Thank you, Ms. Nikos. As expected, you exemplify what students are made of here at Beacon Academy. I have hopes that you and many of your other former classmates will return to teach at our academy one day. The next generation can always learn from its predecessors." Ozpin cleared his throat as the cheers continued to die down. "And with that, we will now hand out the rest of the diplomas to this year's class."</p><p>As Pyrrha sat down, Nora hugged her for a job well done. Ren and Jaune also offered a quiet 'congratulations.' As Ozpin picked up the first diploma.</p><p>"When I call your name, please make your way towards the stage. In each of these diplomas, I have inscribed a personal memory for all of you. I was lucky to get to know each of you in a different way, and I want you all to remember this place. Now then, Velvet Scarlatina-"</p><p>The rest of the graduation went on as expected. Each member of Team JNPR and Team RWBY went on to take their graduation diplomas. Next, awards were given out to some of the students. Nora was voted "Most Likely to kill someone with her bare hands", while Ruby was voted "Most Likely to blow up a kitchen", which Jaune enjoyed a good chuckle for. Of course, he was silenced once she sent him a glare.</p><p>Once that portion of the graduation concluded, Ozpin had all the students look at their scrolls to see a huge surprise. As they checked their profiles, all their accounts were updated to active Huntsman and Huntresses with a license number given to each of them. Cheers, tears, and everything in between filled the courtyard one last time as Ozpin gave them the "go ahead" for them to toss their caps into the air. Their time at Beacon Academy had ended and graduation had concluded.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [N]</p><p>The students moved from their seats and out into the front garden of the school grounds as they exited their ceremony. Ruby searched for Jaune amongst the crowds of people that were meeting with their families. She had just spoken to her father and Qrow regarding her plans post-graduation and she would be seeing him as well as the rest of her friends. Tai Yang had no problem with that as he too would be seeing some old friends, most notably Professors Oobleck and Port, who he had a long-standing friendship with.</p><p>She shoved past a couple of her former classmates as she continued to search for him. Where is he? She pouted. That was when a pair outstretched arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her into the air much to her surprise. While she was uncertain at first, she knew those long arms from anywhere.</p><p>"Guess who?"</p><p>"Cardin."</p><p>"Not funny." Jaune pouted.</p><p>Ruby giggled as he turned her around to face him, still holding her in his arms. She loved when he held her. She never thought she could be so... girlish? Yeah, that's it. But she loved Jaune and she loved being with him that it brought it out in her. It brought out many things, some naughtier than others, but she felt comfortable with him.</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and forced him into a kiss, much to his surprise. They hadn't really partaken in any PDA, especially with a huge group of people like all those at graduation standing around them. Some were slack-jawed as they looked on at the new couple. Some had ideas, others had speculations, but nothing was ever confirmed. Here it was though, the screwball, Ruby Rose, was dating the doofus, Jaune Arc.</p><p>She released him from her lips as he let go of her, planting her back to the ground.</p><p>"Most likely to blow up a kitchen, huh?" Jaune teased.</p><p>"Remember when I said you'd pay for comments like that?" She asked him. "That's strike two."</p><p>Jaune took a step back defensively as he tried to laugh off her assumed-threat. She stared at him blankly, daring him to try for a third time.</p><p>"Hey, lovebirds." A voice commented.</p><p>Ruby and Jaune looked over to see Ruby's older sister, Yang, approaching them. Ruby ran over to her and wrapped her up in a big hug as Yang reciprocated the action. She looked over at jaune and gave a smile to him as he did to her.</p><p>"Yang, we did it!" Ruby exclaimed in her sister's arms, giddy as a kid on Christmas morning.</p><p>"We sure did. Officially licensed to kick some ass." Yang stated as she pumped her arm in the air.</p><p>"You all seem lively as usual." Weiss commented as she approached the group.</p><p>"Bestie!" Ruby yelled as she ended her hug with Yang and wrapped Weiss in a powerful hug. "Now we can be a team forever and ever and ever and ev-"</p><p>"Ruby, please don't make me ask for a transfer before we've even had one official, licensed mission together." Weiss commented as she tried to escape the death grip she was in.</p><p>She released her as Blake, Ren, and Nora approached them as well. They all exchanged hugs and laughs amidst the other groups of people that were now thinning out. Lastly, Pyrrha approached the group holding her awards and diploma. Jaune was the first to embrace her for a job well done, followed by the rest of Team JNPR, then Team RWBY joined in.</p><p>Blake could feel herself becoming slightly emotional at the scene, opting to wipe her eyes. Nora noticed her and offered a bright smile, which Blake returned. They knew this wasn't goodbye for each other, but they also knew growing up meant less fun times and not everyone was going to be in the bed next to them or across the hall. It was about to be a whole different life.</p><p>"Awww, look how cute the new graduates are." A voice called.</p><p>The two teams ended their hug to see Neptune and Sun standing a few feet away smiling. The voice belonged to Sun, who was mocking their gesture as he and his partner snickered to themselves. Apparently, they had learned nothing over time.</p><p>Weiss approached the two and grabbed Neptune by the ear, causing him to flinch in pain. Sun only laughed at his teammate as Blake eyed him from afar.</p><p>"You really know how to ruin a good moment, don't you?"</p><p>"Ow ow ow ow." Neptune yelped as he was dragged over to the group. Sun followed the pair over as well with his hands behind his head and a smile on his face.</p><p>"So, the gang is all here." Blake commented.</p><p>"Damn right, sister!" Nora yelled in an excited manner.</p><p>Weiss cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention as she finally released Neptune's ear. He rubbed the poor lobe as he too gave her his attention.</p><p>"Well, we're officially graduates, so there's something Neptune and I would like to ask all of you, right?" Weiss commented as she looked over at the blue-haired boy.</p><p>"Oh, right!" Neptune replied. "I'd like all of you to come over to my apart-"</p><p>WHACK.</p><p>"Our..." Weiss commented.</p><p>Neptune rubbed his head after her open calm collided with the back of his dome. "We'd like for all of you to come to OUR apartment tonight to celebrate OUR graduations together."</p><p>"Hell yeah! Our first post-graduation party! What should I wear? Ren, what should I wear?!" Nora asked as she zipped around her small group of friends.</p><p>"Why don't you just wear what you usually do?" He replied nonchalantly.</p><p>"Way to ruin the surprise, sourpuss." She replied.</p><p>"Well, I guess that settles it then?" Weiss asked before turning towards Neptune. "Go pick us up some food, please?" She asked with a smile.</p><p>Neptune smiled back at her and gave a cheesy thumbs up in her direction before turning back towards Sun. "Leave it to us, babe."</p><p>Weiss hid the smile that tugged at the edge of her lips. Now he's catching on. She thought as she turned back to her friends.</p><p>There was an awkward silence among them as the eight of them stood there together. Their time as students was over now. And while they would remain teams in the field, there was a bit of sadness floating over the group. No more cafeteria food fights, school pranks, or late-night conversations.</p><p>Ruby could feel herself becoming emotional. The tears tugged from the corners of her eyes. Reality was setting in. She rubbed her eyes as she quietly sobbed. Blake held her as the group looked on. Nora and Ren smiled at each other calmly. Their plans weren't much different from everyone else. Having no family or village to return, this was their home now. They would start their lives here and work with Jaune and Pyrrha for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Yang would return home next week and spend time with her father, but she would be moving to Vale as well. In fact, she found herself a roommate in her one-night rival, Pyrrha. Yang had never let her live down a night that she had no memory of. Even about her and Jaune getting a love hotel, much to her shock and embarrassment. The recovery from that night consisted of a large, late-night meal and more vomiting. Yang thought the night would never end, but like all things, it eventually did.</p><p>Blake would be returning home to spend time with her family. She needed to reconcile some things with them and needed to spend some time thinking before returning to Vale. That being said, Sun would be traveling with her. He wasn't asked, he was told. Strangely enough, he kind of liked it? The boy had problems.</p><p>Weiss had already finished moving most of her things into Nep-.. Err, their apartment. Her father was unhappy with the decision, but having her license as a Huntress and being able to support herself meant that he would not be a factor. Her sister, Winter, was proud of her, not only as a graduate, but as a woman. She made a hard decision to go against her father and create a life of her own.</p><p>Lastly, Jaune and Ruby had also made a decision of their own. It came last week as a surprise to Ruby when they were at their graduation recital. She noticed his "more nervous than usual demeanor" as she described it and asked him over and over what was wrong. He eventually gave in and asked her to move in with him.</p><p>He had secretly put a deposit down on an apartment within the same complex as Neptune after he had coerced him to do so. Ruby was scared initially of what her family would think, mainly her father. How would she tell him? What about Qrow? How did Jaune afford this place being as nice as it was? When she thought about these questions, there was one that didn't plague her mind.</p><p>Should I do it?</p><p>Once she noticed that she hadn't thought that, she smiled. That meant she had no doubts. If that was the case, who cared what they all thought. She had given him an emphatic Yes before they shared another kiss. The benefits long outweighed anything else. A place of her own, with her boyfriend, in the same complex as her best friend? It was going to be great.</p><p>The only thing that sucked is they would have to wait until next month to move in. In the meantime, they would meet each other's families and share Neptune's apartment until it was move in time. Weiss had offered the extra bedroom, without asking Neptune of course, to which they accepted.</p><p>The group were disrupted as Pyrrha reached into her bag handing off her shoulder.</p><p>"Here, everyone." She stated. "It's our graduation books. Pictures and memories of everyone here at Beacon."</p><p>She handed out the smaller books to each of them, hoping to improve on the mood. They each opened them and scanned through the pages. Like Pyrrha stated, the pictures and quotes were a fond reminder of their time. It even has pictures from the massive food fight the eight of them had in their freshmen year.</p><p>"We definitely won that battle." Blake mentioned.</p><p>"Absolutely!" Yang replied.</p><p>"Ruby won that fight. You all went down from what I remember." Ren remarked.</p><p>"You want a rematch? Is that what I'm hearing?" Yang asked Ren.</p><p>"You bet we-" Nora tried before Ren covered her mouth from behind and violently shook his head.</p><p>The group laughed at both of their antics before Ruby reached the last page of her book. Her face turned white, well, whiter than usual as she was reading it over. Weiss stopped her laughs and looked to her friend with concern. She peeked over her shoulder to see what she was reading, only to turn a little pale herself.</p><p>"You both okay?" Jaune asked.</p><p>The others looked over to see their friends standing still and ghostly. Weiss shook her head as she looked back at her friends. She opened her own book and scanned the pages all the way until the end and stopped at the last page. Her face was still pale and she looked over to them.</p><p>"Hey everyone," She started. "look at the last page of your books, please."</p><p>The rest of the group looked to each other with a puzzled look on their faces. One by one, they all opened their books to the last page. That's when they all went silent, each of them growing pale as the world passed them by. They looked over to the stage where their graduation had once taken place to see Ozpin meeting with former students and taking pictures.</p><p>They all stared for several seconds, possibly minutes, before he looked to them. He pulled his sunglasses down as he smiled in their direction and waved, trying not to draw too much attention to himself before walking off. He had left them one last parting gift for graduation.</p><p>Each of the eight team members watched as he disappeared back into the school after leaving the stage before returning back to the simple, seven-word sentence left in large print on each of their books.</p><p>"I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER." - Oz</p><p>"Do you think he knows about Ren's pelvic fractures?" Nora asked.</p><p>"Please don't..." Ren replied.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo [E]</p><p>A Few Hours Later</p><p>After everything had wrapped up at Beacon academy, the former students along with any of their family and friends had left the grounds. Ruby said her farewells to her father and uncle, Weiss to her sister, and Jaune to his parents and sisters. They left their former school and began their travel to downtown Vale, their new home soon enough.</p><p>Before long they reached the apartment complex of Weiss and Neptune. Weiss showed them the way, being sure to walk past Cynthia on the way to the elevators and smile smugly. Ruby was confused by her actions but didn't question it. Soon enough, they entered the apartment to find Sun and Neptune waiting for them, lounging on the couch in the living room area. Sun was playing some video game and neglected to turn around when everyone entered, being too immersed in the gameplay. Neptune waved them in as he looked over from his seat.</p><p>"Hey everyone," He spoke. "Come in and make yourselves at home. Food is on the counter."</p><p>Nora rushed past everyone standing in front of her to make her way to the food. They looked on in horror as she devoured almost everything in sight. Nora would never change.</p><p>"No worries. I've got pizza coming late." Neptune stated.</p><p>"Hey Ruby," Wiess remarked. "you and Jaune can dump your things in the spare bedroom down the hall."</p><p>"They what?" Neptune asked.</p><p>Weiss looked over at him as he shuddered. She walked forward slowly with a smile as he stared at her. She approached him on the couch without a noise, similarly to how she did months earlier and placed a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Now babe,"She spoke holding him in place. "is this going to be a problem?"</p><p>Neptune gulped as she smiled sweetly at him. That smile was a faced. He knew fully well what that smile really was. It was a trap. A trap he knew better than to push forward on. He swallowed and took a deep breath before returning her smile with one of his own.</p><p>"N-Not at all!" He replied. "Our home is their home!"</p><p>"I knew you'd agree!"</p><p>They both laughed together as the others watched on. Neptune had clear distress on his face which was noticed clearly by Yang who stifled a laugh. Ruby grinned as she looked over at Jaune who noticed her stare.</p><p>"I'm going to have to learn that trick." She commented.</p><p>The rest of the group laughed as Jaune backed away hastily. She winked at him before making her way over to the kitchen area and sitting at the table. Yang and Pyrrha followed her over and sat at the table as well. Ren attempted to pry Nora away from the counter, but it was proving to be difficult. Jaune sat on the couch next to Weiss and Neptune, while Blake smacked Sun on his head for neglecting to say hello to her. He smiled in return as she smiled and shook her head.</p><p>Sun handed the controller over to Blake as he stood up. She accepted it with a cocked eyebrow as he made his way over to the closet of the apartment near the television. He opened the doors as everyone's attention was drawn to him. He reached behind some of Neptune's belongings and continued to search for something.</p><p>"Can I help you?" Neptune asked.</p><p>Sun waved him off as he continued to look. "Nah, I got it now." He replied. He turned around to reveal a something familiar to everyone in the room. Collectively, they stared at the object he was holding. Its dark blue color sparkled in the room's bright lighting. A calm, stillness washed over the room as they stared at the Faunus and what he was holding.</p><p>The first to react was Neptune as he stood up slowly from his seated position on the couch.</p><p>"What is that doing in my-"</p><p>"Our"</p><p>"our apartment?" He finished, correcting his statement.</p><p>Sun just smiled as he tossed the bottle around in his hand. Sun was definitely the wildcard among the group of boys. He leaned towards the chaotic evil compared to his other cohorts. It was almost as if he had learned nothing.</p><p>"I snagged a bottle of it when I was downtown before I met up with you and went to the graduation. Figured we could all have just one drink together." Sun replied.</p><p>"Are you some kind of asshole?" Blake asked.</p><p>Sun looked over at her and smiled. He offered her the bottle first as her ears perked up. "Care to go first, Blake?"</p><p>She could smell the potent alcohol through the loosely-capped top. While her trauma didn't outweigh many others in the room when it came to the drink, she was apprehensive to even hold the bottle let alone drink from it. Sun continued to wave the bottle in front of her as she gagged at the stench. Her eyes traveled to him. Did he have a death wish?</p><p>"Why would I ever want to even-"</p><p>Her argument was met with the bottle making contact with her mouth, followed by liquid pouring down her throat and face. Blake pulled her mouth away and coughed at the forced drink as she covered her mouth. The group was silent as Sun laughed like a five-year-old child. Blake's face was red as she continued her fit of coughing and choking on the fluid as she wiped her chin. Once finished she looked back at her fellow Faunus.</p><p>"WHAT THE FUCK, SUN?" She yelled.</p><p>Sun laughed harder as he rolled to the other side of the couch. "Oh, lighten up, Blake." He replied. "Here, watch this."</p><p>Immediately following the statement, Sun decided to take a swig of his own from the bottle and proceed to choke down a long gulp before pulling the bottle away from his mouth. Everyone watched in amazement as he placed the bottle on the coffee table in the living room with a satisfied grin plastered on his face.</p><p>"Well, it was nice knowing you, man." Yang commented.</p><p>"What are you talking about? I'll be fine." Sun commented back to her.</p><p>"Yeah, we'll see about that." Yang laughed. "You may want to keep a trashcan near him, Blake."</p><p>Blake rubbed her head as she was thinking of dealing with a semblance issue, a nausea issue and a Sun issue all at the same time.</p><p>"Weiss, where's the doll?" She asked. "Asshole here is going to regret that."</p><p>Sun cocked an eyebrow at the statement as Weiss chuckled.</p><p>"Down the hall, above the bed." Weiss answered.</p><p>Blake left the group as she stumbled slightly, already feeling the effects of the drink. Sun watched as she walked down the hall but decided to shrug his shoulders before looking at the rest of the group.</p><p>"So, who's next?"</p><p>Pyrrha raised her hand at the table before receiving a hateful glare from Yang sitting across from her. It was a stare that could kill as Pyrrha peeked over at her. Slowly, she let her hand lower onto her lap without a word and cleared her throat. Ruby laughed at their antics before standing up.</p><p>"ME! ME!" She yelled, raising her hand.</p><p>"There we go!" Sun yelled giving her a thumbs up.</p><p>Jaune gulped as Ruby grabbed a cup from the counter and walked over towards the table. He knew what that drink did to her and though he wasn't one to complain about her coming onto him now, especially with their change in relationship status, she could be quite... persuasive and... demanding? Yes, that was it.</p><p>I should probably do something. He thought.</p><p>As she approached the table and made a reach for the blue bottle, Jaune snagged the bottle away quickly before she could take hold of it, causing her to look over with a pout.</p><p>"Hey!" She exclaimed. "I want that!"</p><p>"How old are you?" Neptune asked with a laugh.</p><p>Jaune ignored him and gripped the bottle tightly as she continued to pout at him. "I, uh, I don't think that's such a good idea."</p><p>"Oh Jaune," Yang commented from the table. "telling Ruby to do something, or not to do something, usually causes her to do the opposite. Not a good move."</p><p>Fuck. He thought.</p><p>He looked back at her as she was now cracking her knuckles at him. He back-peddled a foot or two as he heard the crunch of the digits, signaling an unfortunate, impending doom.</p><p>"You're going to want to hand that over, Jauney-boy." Ruby commented.</p><p>Jaune gasped in horror at her reply, pointing a blameful finger in her direction. "You said the thing!"</p><p>"Who do you think started it?" Ruby commented with a laugh.</p><p>Jaune's jaw dropped as he looked to everyone else in the room. Their smiles confirmed it. Even Ren was smiling as he was still attempting to pull Nora away from what now remained of the snacks on the counter. He looked back at her with wide eyes as she beamed a smile in his direction.</p><p>He couldn't help it, and he knew it not wise, but he was feeling slightly annoyed at this. Ruby reached her hand out, almost demanding the bottle it seemed. As an act of defiance, and for old time's sake, he raised his right hand up, slowly so she could watch, and once at eye level proceeded to give her the middle finger like he had months earlier.</p><p>Ruby's eye twitched as Yang and Pyrrha covered their mouths at the table. Weiss and Neptune looked at each other in surprise as they watched the almost frozen scene take place before them. Before Jaune could register what he was doing, he had done it. He knew it was certain death, but he was in too deep now.</p><p>"You have five seconds." Ruby spoke.</p><p>After hearing that, almost as if second nature, Jaune did what he was best at and began running. She huffed in an annoyed fashion as she gave chase around the living room furniture. The group laughed as Jaune leaped over the couch and around the kitchen table, trying to avoid Ruby's grasp.</p><p>The chase didn't last long as Ruby caught Jaune's foot after attempting to flee down the hallway. However, his grip on the blue bottle also didn't last. As he made contact with the ground, the bottle went airborne in the direction of the kitchen where Pyrrha and Yang were continuing to laugh.</p><p>As if in slow motion, Ren and Nora watched from the sidelines as the cork from the top of the bottle shot out and the bottle proceeded to fly right at Pyrrha, knocking her to the floor.</p><p>"Pyrrha!" Yang yelled.</p><p>"Now look what you did!" Ruby exclaimed.</p><p>"It's because you had to chase me!" Jaune protested.</p><p>As everyone shuffled over to check on the redhead, with the exception of Sun who was too busy laughing on the floor next to the couch in the living room, they found a gruesome discovery. While Pyrrha herself was fine, they noticed the cork from the top of the bottle missing and she had caught the top of the bottle... with her mouth. As she downed the liquid by accident, everyone stood around her with horror-filled eyes.</p><p>By instinct, Yang immediately ripped the bottle away with a hefty force, trying to minimize the damage. She examined the bottle to see that while there was still a decent amount of fluid remaining, she had consumed a significant quantity.</p><p>"Oh... that's not good." Neptune stated.</p><p>"I didn't mean to! I swear!" Pyrrha exclaimed frantically.</p><p>"What do we do now?" Nora asked.</p><p>"We're going to have to put her down, I guess." Neptune stated as everyone looked over at him. "Not like that!"</p><p>"I've got this." Yang spoke as she cracked her knuckles and stretcher her arms.</p><p>"What are y-"</p><p>Before Pyrrha could react, Yang immediately placed her in a choke hold. Pyrrha tried to grip at the girl assaulting her as she felt the alcohol taking a hold of her already. Yang knew not to let up and give her a chance or else everyone would be in danger. Pyrrha began trying to claw at Yang with all her force as Yang did not release her grip. Shortly, she began to fade and before anyone knew it, she passed out.</p><p>Yang huffed as she rose to her feet and everyone just stared at her silently. The room was so silent, you could hear Ruby's stomach growling, which everyone did.</p><p>"Don't you think that was a bit... much?" Weiss asked her teammate.</p><p>"Do you want a repeat of that night?" Yang asked her. "Because I sure as shit don't."</p><p>Nora crouched next to her passed out teammate and began poking her face. Ren stepped in next to her and held her shoulder, almost as if to tell her to not disturb or try and arouse her in any way.</p><p>Ruby elbowed jaune in his ribs causing him to wince as he looked over at her consuming a cupcake from the snack pile that remained. She continued to give him a stare that was basically her stating "this is your fault".</p><p>"Oh, come on!" Jaune stated. "If anything, it's Sun's fault! He's the one who brought that bottle into this apartment!"</p><p>Everyone's eyes then shifted to the Faunus who was still on the floor laughing at what had happened. To him, this whole situation turned out even better than expected. The group continued to listen to him squeeze out laugh after laugh as another person returned to the room. Unfortunately for Sun, he didn't notice the other Faunus return, holding an ALSO familiar object from that night.</p><p>Blake had watched most of the scene unfold from the hallway and was now done with the boy's escapades. Sun finally began to catch his breath and wipe his tears as she approached him, the rooms till silent as they waited. A dark shadow blocked out the ceiling light above Sun as he opened his eyes to see Blake staring down at him with an expressionless face.</p><p>"Sup?" He asked with his smile.</p><p>She didn't answer him as she stood there, looming over him. His smile then turned to an inquisitive stare as she dropped to her knees near his head and continued leer at him.</p><p>"Is there something on my face?" He asked her.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"Okay Blake, what the hell is-"</p><p>As he began sitting up, she pushed him down as the others watched around him. He was confused by the whole situation. Only those standing behind her could see the object she was hiding behind her back and knew what was coming next.</p><p>"That's it. I've had en-"</p><p>Just then she pushed him to the ground again and pulled out the object she had been hiding. It was Sun's worst fear. Worse than anything he imagined. The dreaded doll that made him cry like a little girl all those months ago.</p><p>Sun's face went from a bright red to a pale white as the life drained from his eyes. "Snowflake", as Weiss had called the doll was slowly removed from behind Blake's back as she now adorned an evil smile. He shook his head in fear as he backed away slowly, crawling backwards as fast as he could.</p><p>"No. No. No." He almost pleaded.</p><p>"Come on," Blake commented. "you know you missed her. It's all over your face."</p><p>"Nooooooooo!" He yelled in a panic as he backed against the corner of the living room on the far side. He gripped his legs and rocked himself back and forth, attempting to calm himself.</p><p>The rest of the group roar, at the Faunus as he was on the verge of tears, with the exception of Nora who was still busy poking Pyrrha's face. Blake was now enjoying herself as she approached him again and more screams came from the corner of the room.</p><p>Neptune wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched on. Sun was a good friend, hell maybe his best friend, but this was too good and well deserved for him acting like an "asshole", as Blake referred to him usually. She was usually the quiet one of the group and kept to herself in big crowds, but this was something she was going to hold over his head for a long time to come.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p><p>As the night carried on, the party began to die. The friends drank, ate, made inappropriate comments, and did some inappropriate things of course (cough Nora) to say the least. One by one, they drifted off to sleep before the final four left made their way to their respective rooms. Neptune and Weiss were first to go as they cleaned up some of the mess (cough cough Nora) before he gave up. Ruby and Jaune then retired to their room they would be staying in until they were move-in ready.</p><p>They were the new power couple of Beacon before graduation and they had a bright future ahead of them. Any region would recruit them with all their accolades, along with all of their friends. Some were just, more eccentric than others (cough cough cough Nora).</p><p>They entered the room together before and turned the light on. Their belongings were scattered all around the room in a neat fashion. The bed that occupied the room was a queen, a size smaller than the one they had shared on that weekend a few months ago. This would be their first time sleeping together since then as well. They had attempted to spend nights together, but it was hard being in a dormitory and with their finals approaching after they had gotten together, they thought it best to wait.</p><p>Ruby stared at Jaune as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She felt nervous once again, like this was new to her. She felt her heart race as he approached her with a smile and stroked his hand across her face. They had joked earlier with Neptune about having relations in the room next to him, which made Weiss and him cringe, while they had a drunken laugh.</p><p>She rolled to her side of the bed to allow him to lay down next to her as she patted his spot, welcoming him. He acknowledged her and made himself comfortable in the spot. While the bed was a size smaller, laying a little closer to the woman he loved was garnering no complaint from him. Once he was comfortable enough, Ruby pulled the blanket over them and nuzzled her head in his chest. They both laid there for several minutes, enjoying the silence and company of one another.</p><p>Shortly, she moved her head to look at him and he returned her glance with a smile. She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. He pouted slightly, wishing she had done it on his lips as she giggled at his response. He captured her lips as she was mid-giggle, not settling for her games. He felt her growl into his lips, causing him to smile as he continued to kiss her. She returned the smooch eventually, letting him have his way. The innocent kiss turned into a make out session, followed by groping, followed by moaning.</p><p>"We're really going to wake everyone." Ruby stated with a mischievous smile.</p><p>"Not if you keep it quiet." He replied.</p><p>"You know I can't do that."</p><p>He nibbled her ear slightly after her comment eliciting a small moan from her. Once he finished his games, she responded with a nibble of her own before they embraced again and as they were about to get any further there came a-</p><p>BANG. BANG. BANG.</p><p>Both shot up in bed and sat in their respective spots, frightened by the loud noises they just heard.</p><p>"Nice job." He commented.</p><p>"I wasn't even loud!" She argued.</p><p>BANG. BANG. BANG.</p><p>She nudged his arm and gave him a look to which he sighed. That was the 'get out of bed and answer it' look if he had ever seen one. He whipped the blanket off him and stood before walking to the door. He sighed again before opening it and almost being rushed by their friends in a panic.</p><p>"Jaune! Ruby!" Yang spoke.</p><p>"We're sorry! We'll be quiet, I swear!" Ruby yelled in embarrassment.</p><p>"There's no time for that!" Ren yelled.</p><p>"Say wha-" Jaune tried.</p><p>"Quickly! Have either of you seen Pyrrha?!" Yang yelled again, this time gripping Jaune by the shoulders and shaking him.</p><p>"Seen... Pyrrha?..." Jaune replied slowly.</p><p>Almost by some strange coincidence the room went eerily quiet as Jaune and Ruby were catching on to the panicked faces of their friends. This was all too familiar and with everyone passing out after Yang basically choked her out, there wasn't anyone paying much attention to her.</p><p>Just then, as the room remained quiet, the sounds of car alarms, sirens, and what sounded like grown men crying could be heard from outside the slightly ajar bedroom window everyone was standing in. As a unit, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Ren, and Nora looked in the direction of the sounds they were hearing.</p><p>At that same moment, everyone had the same thought. That same thought that had been in the minds and on the lips of many that night months ago.</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>THE END.</p><p>OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I AM SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG DELAY! I really wanted to have this done a long time ago, but I just couldn't figure out how I wanted to end this epilogue. I am still not satisfied with it, but many times people are not satisfied anyway. I hope you all have enjoyed this ride. And if anyone ever wants the full, no holds barred story, trust me, I'm game. I'm proud to have been able to finish this and that I have received so much feedback from you all.</p><p>Please stay tuned as I plan to have a few more short stories in the same universe as this one, as well as my own, long-term planned story that I want to focus more on action. Got a few ideas brooding, but I want something concrete first and will take my time because nothing rushed is ever good. I have plans for spin-offs of this story though. So, look forward to it.</p><p>Thanks again for the support and being the great people that you are. I hope you had a few (cheap) laughs and that you can look back on this with a fond remembrance like I do with friends of mine. This has been enjoyable to write and read and has inspired me to keep at it. Peace out!</p><p>GodRealm</p>
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